Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Your Great Kingdom
by TehSammichMan
Summary: With a painful memory block impeding investigation, it's all 252, an amnesiac Treecko, can do to try and piece together the scattered clues of a life forgotten. Armed with knowledge she knows isn't her own, she must tread carefully even within her own mind. And yet, as more details become clear, she realizes there were, perhaps, reasons why she shouldn't remember her past. PMD.
1. Our Great Downfall

**Chapter 3 is entirely new; more information there. Small revamps to Chapters 1 and 2. This message will be deleted upon next update.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

" _I suppose that unfortunate Cinccino I heard about was an envoy of yours. After I warned you about Lena's handle on the situation, no less._ "

"I had to try. I was hoping she'd be a bit more welcoming than you were, but that seems to be my mistake."

" _That's your explanation?_ "

"Well, you're not exactly the most… Malleable 'mon out there, are you? I suppose that's the reason why you're the one standing here now, in any case. It was a mistake to send a representative to Lena on my behalf, but even then…"

" _I believe more blame lies on your blatant ignorance of my command not to approach her. Did I not make myself clear?_ "

"Watch it. Just because I hold your thoughts in high regard doesn't mean I'm no longer your king."

The telepathic voice scoffed at the remark.

" _You're still a fool. Not only did you endanger every Pok_ _é_ _mon in that ward by provoking Lena, but you drove her to flee. She's gone. And when an adventurer of that caliber wants to disappear, not even I can track them down. Was it not clear from the moment we returned that we would not be disclosing_ _ **anything**_ _regarding that dungeon?_ "

"Metagross, you have an obligation t—"

" _Obligation? To you? I partnered with you based on what I naively hoped was mutual respect, but you've since demonstrated it was anything but. I tell you there are horrors beyond what you can imagine so deeply submerged, horrors I would rather die than relive, and yet you push further? That is not respect._ "

"You're mistaken. The fact I haven't yet ordered your arrest for insolence is evidence enough I still respect you. I would've trusted none other to have taken on this expedition."

" _It wasn't an expedition, it was an exploitation. Non-psychics would've fallen instantly upon setting foot past the distortional boundary. This dungeon_ _ **killed**_ _Soren. It drove Lena to madness, and after experiencing it firsthand I know 'malleability' isn't what destroyed them. It was you, sending us on a suicide mission._ "

"I won't apologize if that's what you're looking for. This kingdom will forever remember Soren as a hero, but his legacy lies entirely with you, and the information you hold about the true nature of this plague. Please, Metagross."

" _You've done enough. If you wanted to honor his legacy, you would have treated Lena with the respect she's earned._ "

"I can't change the past. My heart is with her, wherever she is now. I feel for you and her both, Metagross."

" _Irrelevant. Regardless, there was another reason why I came to meet with you. After what we saw, I came to a revelation. Dungeons have only grown worse, and if this 'expedition' was any indication, there's a storm brewing. A storm only those most suited to dungeoneering can hope to outlast."_

Metagross' eyes shone with intensity, a rare display of excitement in an otherwise stone-cold Pokémon.

" _A psychic regime… It's the only way to move forward._ "

"..."

Silence reverberated through the less-than-ornate room. Our Great King could only hope his guard had truly left earshot, as ordered.

"Choose your next words wisely. I don't want to make you my enemy."

" _Gone are the days in which regular Pok_ _é_ _mon are able to explore Mystery Dungeons with any guarantee of safety. Their true nature is so much more sinister than anything we could have conceived, and it seems to me a psychic regime is the only option in the matter._ "

"Are you saying you should rule? That's treason, Metagross."

" _Me? Of course not. While it's true I wouldn't pester a beaten, broken adventurer who just lost her mate to the distortion regarding irrelevant details of a truly traumatic experience, I will admit I cannot empathize to the degree many other psychics can. Empathy is evidently an important trait in a leader, no? You and I are much alike in our lack of it."_

"Whatever you're planning to do, just stop."

Our Great King felt a lump grow in his throat. If Metagross chose to do something, there was little that could stop him.

"It's thanks to expeditions like yours we're able combat Mystery Dungeons in the first place. Nothing is perfect, but we're learning. A psychic regime? What would that accomplish?"

" _Superiority._ "

"That's childish. Psychics are capable in dungeoneering, yes, but they have their own slew of weaknesses, just like every other type."

" _A water type is more adept at watercraft than psychics are, but I was under the impression the world was being overrun with dungeons, not floods."_

"And you understand the implications of what you're suggesting?"

" _I came here tonight with the full intention of rectifying the grave situation we all find ourselves in. One way or another._ "

"You need to leave and reflect on what I'm about to tell you. I love this kingdom with everything I am. With everything I have ever been. If you plan on doing something _irrational_ , then be well aware you will meet the full force of everything I, and the people of this nation, can muster. Think long and hard."

Metagross scoffed once again, narrowing his eyes.

" _By my standards, or by yours?_ "

Our Great King chose to ignore the direct jab at his intelligence.

"I don't want to hear of this again. What I did to provoke Lena was the wrong way to go about it, but the results of your expedition are needed in order to move forward. I stand by my decision."

" _The fact you believe I came to this conclusion because of what you did to Lena is laughable. I knew this fact of our existence to be true the second I saw the sun again. Unless psychic leadership and policies are set in place, there is nothing stopping this plague from ravaging your precious nation. If you truly love it, you'll do what is right and relinquish power. I've considered every contingency._

"It's not going to happen. There has to be another way. Starting with you telling me what you saw in there."

" _What are you to do if I refuse again? Detain me? No psychic on this planet can read my thoughts without my invitation, not that any would try._ "

Our Great King was growing restless. Subtle twitches and restrained breathing emulated more than certainly to Metagross that his options were dwindling. Either way, the night would end in one of two ways.

"Out of respect for what you've done for us, I'm giving you one more chance to walk away. This conversation never took place. You are free of any and all obligations you once held, but know I'm not giving up just yet on Lena. The world _needs_ to know what Mystery Dungeons are and why they're here, and it sounds like the details of your expedition are the only way to move forward _without_ violence."

" _It's not enough_."

Our Great King growled in frustration.

"No way you could possibly go about a takeover would end well for anybody! You may think you've considered every possibility, every variable, but what about the one you yourself said you don't even understand? Emotion is as strong a force as any army. A coup? What would that accomplish aside from uniting an entire nation against you?"

" _The desperate defense of a cornered dog._ "

"And Lena? Soren? What would they have to say about this?"

" _All psychics know, deep down, that we're the key to this world's future. It seems, though, I'm the only one presently unafraid to take action. It's my new obligation._ "

"One more chance to back down. Think, Metagross. I would gladly give my life to keep this nation out of the hands of anyone _you_ , of all Pokémon, see fit to rule."

" _I've already made up my mind. Unfortunately, I believe that makes you…_ "

Metagross took a few, booming steps forward, until he could practically feel the heat of Our Great King's fur.

The Flareon stood his ground, eyes narrowing and gaze unwavering despite the minuscule chance the next few moments would end in his favor. Would he even have time to call his guards?

However, the slow, ceremonious of Metagross's massive right foreleg was all the confirmation Our Great King needed to know his life was coming to a close regardless.

" _Obsolete._ "


	2. A Little Fast, Don't You Think?

**Yep. A new story. Almost entirely different than Seven and Counting in a variety of ways.**

 **SaC, more than anything, was a practice run for me. Before I get into the meat of it, I would like to address those of you following me because of SaC. I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. In all honesty, though, it's a mess compared to where I want to be as a writer.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of certain aspects, characters, and devices used in SaC, but I feel as if the overarching plot and narrative structure in general has just derailed entirely. I started writing it my sophomore year of high school with only a vague direction of where I wanted it to go, and I couldn't imagine then how complex and, admittedly, convoluted, it became.**

 **I'm saying all this because I want to do more. I want to rise above my mistakes. SaC was my first real attempt at writing, and in the sense that it helped me better myself and guided me to a degree of skill necessary to get a few short stories and poems published, it was an astounding success. This new world, story, and cast, however, will hopefully allow me to come full-circle and produce something of length I can truly be proud of.**

 **For now, I only plan to post the first chapter of this new fic in the hopes I can entice a new audience while I continue and finish SaC. I've had this world in the works since just after I imagined SaC, so now I feel it's time to put it on paper.**

 **If you're new here, or just here because of SaC, I can only hope you'll enjoy this all the same. Thank you.**

* * *

 **Chapter I**

* * *

Little existed in this new world of hers. Nothing, in fact, but the ear-shattering screech of her own thoughts being ground to dust.

That awful squeal sliced through her mind at an unimaginable pitch, destroying each and every half-conceived thought to cross its path. She mindlessly fumbled in the darkness behind her eyelids for some sort of leverage—a handhold, anything—all while vainly attempting to claw her ears shut.

How she'd come to be in this pitch-black hell nor any means of escape reached her. Trying desperately to hold on to sanity amongst a mad world, she reached out and gripped one desire with vice.

 _Stop… Stop it…_

She wanted it to end. She felt as if her eardrums were going to burst. Her head was going to implode. Whenever she tried focusing on how she'd come to get stuck here, its tone only sharpened further, bringing with it a pressure that forced her to her knees.

She curbed her instinct to try and make sense of the situation, learning each and every attempt at remembrance brought an exponential increase in the agony. She quivered helplessly, refusing to think, refusing to learn, refusing to remember.

" _Ma'am? Do you need a doctor?_ "

Her breathing was out of control and her eyes were clenched shut. Nothing made sense.

" _Ma'am?! Ma'am!_ "

She sucked in as much air as possible, feeling as if she'd just surfaced from spending an hour underwater. She began coughing intensely.

Splotches of color, a dull yellow, began forming in her vision. The darkness soon dissipated, slowly fading out of existence entirely. Replacing it was a lightheaded feeling-she'd been holding her breath for far too long.

"Ma'am, answer me!"

She managed to calm her breathing enough to notice the screeching had entirely vanished, a ringing in her ears the only evidence it had ever existed.

"W-wh?"

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

Noticing her hands were covering her eyes, she slowly raised her gaze to face a white and brown-colored bipedal figure, obviously female if its voice was any indication. A name popped into her mind just then, a name she refused to let slip from her mind.

 _Smeargle._

The Smeargle, obviously irked, raised her tail from behind her back. The end of said tail bunched together in the shape of a paintbrush, steadily oozing a natural, black ink. She stood behind a desk of sorts, papers scattered across its surface.

"I asked you for your name, ma'am, not for all the fanfare. If you're blocked, just tell me you're blocked. No need for all _this_."

"What… What're you-"

She looked around the room scrutinously. Beige-painted walls were covered with framed papers and images, seemingly miscellaneous. The floor beneath her feet was an unpolished wood, definitely in need of a sweep.

"Your _name_ ," she reiterated, lips curling into a scowl.

She opened her mouth while backing up ever so slightly to answer out of fear. No words came. Instead, as if the Smeargle had conjured the noise herself, the high-pitched screeches and whines decided to reappear.

"No!" she yelled, painstakingly forcing it back down into the depths of her mind. Was only she hearing it?! She looked around frantically as if to confirm this thought. Pokemon of all different kinds stood in a line behind her. While a few shared a concerned look on their faces, none seemed all too eager to get any closer.

"Are yo—forget it," the Smeargle stated simply, letting her tail loose and crossing her arms. Rather than continue in her previous fashion, however, the Painter Pokémon simply turned behind her and raised her voice. "Doc! Might wanna clamp this one!"

She looked at the Smeargle oddly before taking a glance at herself. Nothing seemed amiss. Despite not harboring any memories within the small, green and red body she inhabited, she felt normal. She raised a three-digit hand to inspect. No, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Smeargle had reacted as if something were deathly wrong. Did she hear the screeching? Had anybody?

"Why is this… What's—"

In the next instant, a shimmer had overtaken her body, outlining her otherwise-green skin in a pale blue. It almost looked like filtered light in how it twinkled at the edges, but she innately knew otherwise. She tried jumping back in shock, only to find she no longer had control over her movements. Every subsequent attempt at escape was rendered meaningless as the unnatural glow held her in place.

All thoughts of the Smeargle and memories of the metal screech took a backseat as she struggled for the next few moments. She tried kicking out against the force and calling for help, but she found neither or her legs nor her jaw were shown any leniency. Her fear only spiked as her feet left the ground, suspended in the air by what she could only imagine was telekinesis.

The Smeargle, seemingly apathetic, watched her float away for just a moment before calling out, "Next!"

 _Let me go! What is this?! Who are you?!_

She felt it coming again. The ringing was on its way, summoned by her stray thoughts. She immediately did away with any and all questions regarding her situation, only slightly satisfied when it seemed that she would be spared the agony.

"Alright, let's have a look here."

She was so occupied in thought as to not notice she was in another's presence. Moving her eyes to follow the male voice, she saw a figure, obviously preoccupied, talking to her as she hovered towards a lone chair in the middle of the room. The room itself, like the one previous, featured beige walls and a rudimentary wooden floor, though slightly more cleanly. Bookshelves lined all walls but one, in which there stood a massive desk kept entirely tidy.

As she tried remembering the species' name, she was quickly derailed by a sudden, external pressure placed on her mind. She clenched her teeth and tried pushing back.

Yet, almost as soon as it had started. It stopped.

"Hm, unfortunate. At the very least you got nothing else to worry about. Certainly not enough to be causing such a ruckus, hm? All healthy."

The creature finally turned around from the pile of papers on his desk and resigned to begin speaking directly to the confused Pokémon.

"Do you know what I am?"

"W-where am I? Why can't I move?"

"There's no reason for alarm, is there? I understand you're stressed, but there's no need. Just take a deep breath, and answer the question."

She looked at him oddly for a moment. Tall, yellow, brown, and rather lanky, the creature's face looked like a star with how pointed his ears were. He stood slack, his entire demeanor screaming indifference. In his eyes, she could see a delicate balance of impatience and curiosity, and chose to answer soon thereafter.

"A-Alakazam?" she asked tentatively, swallowing.

"Your species?"

"... Treecko?"

"Alright. Tell me your name."

"I—ack!"

She found her movements still constricted as she tried to writhe around in pain when the shriek returned. Her surroundings were just about drowned out entirely.

However, the Alakazam's voice seemed to permeate through the incessant agony in an attempt to soothe her.

"Calm, calm. Don't think. It goes away faster if you just let those thoughts drift away. Don't try and grab them."

Eventually she was able to wrench herself out of her own mind, clenching her eyes shut. She felt as if she was about to burst into tears.

"There we go," the Alakazam said in an almost routine manner. "Now, was it more like a buzz, or a screech? High or low pitched?"

"Both," she responded shakily, refusing to open her eyes. "A-and high pitched. Really, really high."

"Well, it is a nasty one, I'll give you that… No, not any normal block at all. This is a work of art."

She was unresponsive, simply wrinkling her face in what could be taken for a confused sense of sadness. The Alakazam hadn't kept his promise to tell her where she was.

"Alright, let's get the basics out of the way then. If at any time you feel your block coming, just try and get your mind on something else. Thinking of something is always better than thinking of nothing."

"B-Block?"

"Right… The screech, the ringing. Pity nobody told you before. It's almost like a psychic barrier placed over your memories. Like many of our brothers and sisters, you found yourself captured by the enemy and sent back out into a world you had no memory of ever living in. It's an awful thing, really. Sadistic as you'd believe."

"Enemy…? No, I don't-"

"They lock up your memories in the hopes that they cripple any allegiance to Our Great Kingdom. They try to break your spirit by making it hurt every time you go and try to remember yourself. It's brave souls like you, though, that let us continue on and move closer each and every day towards victory. Choosing to enlist despite your uncertainties about the world around you, it takes guts."

Everything sounded rehearsed, artificial, even, like it'd been said dozens upon dozens of times before. The Treecko's brow creased as she pleaded with the Alakazam to slow down.

"You're moving too fast… I can't—"

"Might as well give you the talk, in case you've been misdirected. Your memories are there, completely safe. The problem is, your block won't let you access them. A block this bad is going to do everything in its power to make sure you remember absolutely nothing."

No response. The Treecko was shaking now, head between her hands. The Alakazam sighed.

"I'd take it out for you if I could, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. You knew that already, though, didn't you? Now, can you let me know where you woke up?"

"Wh-what? Just tell me where I am!"

"Calm down, collect your thoughts, and remember for yourself. There's no reason to be flustered."

"I-I…"

The Treecko noticed the Alakazam roll his eyes ever so slightly before she felt the uncomfortable pressure of his telekinesis return to her jaw. She tried opening her mouth to bemusedly ask him more about her situation, but soon found it was pointless.

"I want to help you. I do. But sitting and asking about nonsense is no way to go about this. You really should have been better prepared."

"Mmmmm! MMMMM!"

The Treecko felt tears welling up. What could she possibly do? Nothing made sense. Couldn't they tell she was suffering?

"If you ever want your memories back, then you're going to have to get used to not being in control of everything. That's the unfortunate circumstance of war. We can't all be commanders, can we?"

 _What is this? What the hell is this?_

She couldn't hide her face as tears rolled uncontrollably down her face. Was it fear she felt? Uncertainty to the degree of insanity? She couldn't even determine what she herself was feeling, let alone make an assessment of the situation itself.

"In any case, let's see what you've got going for you so far. If you would do me a favor and just think about how you came to arrive here today, it'll make my job a lot easier. You'll be out of here in no time, promise."

As she once more felt the Alakazam's psychic presence pushing into her skull she tightened up. She again attempted to give another response, but her only answer was the soul-crushing squeal of her block. The Alakazam recoiled suddenly, as if he himself had felt it.

"What the…"

The Treecko was writhing in her chair, the Alakazam's psychic hold preventing her from moving her arms or crying out for help. She felt these restraints immediately loosen as the Alakazam leaned in, placing his hand on the back of the Treecko's head.

"Hey, hey, just ride it out. You're okay. You're good…"

It wouldn't stop. The Treecko tried, again and again, to avert her thoughts. Any such attempt did seemingly nothing. It felt like the block was going to tear her apart.

"Count with me. Count!"

 _Count?!_

"One, two, three, four, five, six…"

The Alakazam's words were a beacon shining through the turmoil of the Treecko's mind. They let her ground herself back in reality, and soon she found herself, whether voluntarily or absentmindedly, counting with him.

"Ten, eleven, twelve… Thirteen…"

She could do nothing but sigh in the few moments after the last bit of ringing left her head. The Alakazam removed his hand as she brought her face to her knees. His restraints were evidently no longer in effect.

"Counting helps. Remember that. If you're ever in a situation where you can't get out of your own head, counting is something we all know how to do on an instinctual level. It helps to ground your thoughts without creating new ones."

After that, the Treecko took to muttering numbers under her breath. She'd been so helpless in those few moments. What would've happened if the block was allowed to continue unobstructed?

She was shaking uncontrollably, positively terrified the block would return. She had, in essence, completely shut off her mind. It was obvious she couldn't control her thoughts, meaning it had to be so much easier not to think entirely.

The Alakazam, surprisingly, waited for about a minute as the Treecko gathered her thoughts. It was only when she sent him a small glance out of the corner of her eye did he believe it was acceptable to continue.

"So, no memories before waking up _in_ the recruitment line. Can't say I've seen that before. Is that really all you remember?"

"That's what I've been telling you!" she exclaimed, stress reaching a boiling point. The Alakazam visibly recoiled at the response, but failed to pursue the topic further.

Instead opting to leave the Treecko for a moment, he stepped back over to his desk. After dipping his entire hand in a large jar of black ink, he went to work jotting something down. Using different patterns, he stamped his hand repeatedly until the seemingly random scribbles evened out into legible runes. After perhaps thirty seconds of this, he signed it with a simple handprint, dipped his ink hand into a nearby bowl of water, and crossed back towards the door.

"It's really nothing to worry about, you'll just be starting a bit behind. Just something you're going to have to learn to deal with in time. Maybe it'd be different if you were the only one with a block, but unfortunately, that's not the world we live in. There are hundreds of thousands out there that need the same help you need, so we can't be selfish, can we?"

The Treecko, during the last thirty seconds, had been absentmindedly watching the Alakazam go about his business, up until he left to hand the paper to the Smeargle she'd previously encountered. She'd hoped that by emptily watching him go about his business, that she wouldn't become too preoccupied with her own thoughts. He returned just a few seconds later. Her breathing was shallow, pupils shrunk to tiny points.

"Sorry about that," he said, acting as if nothing was amiss. "Shall we continue?"

"Please, please just tell me what's going on," she mumbled quietly, crestfallen. She treaded carefully, lest the block return. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"None of that's really important right now, is it? You said you wanted to get your memories back, and here I'm giving you really the only option you have."

"Plea—"

"Fight for us. You're smart, you're headstrong. Even if you don't know yourself anymore, I can see it all. It's right there, in your head. Potential just waiting to be unlocked. Don't you want your memories back? Fighting is the only option you have if you want to learn who you really are."

Treecko's block initiated yet again, prompting her grip to tighten as she banged her head against the back of the chair.

"Well, it would make sense, wouldn't it? The enemy has the key to your lock. If you serve dutifully and we win, then that's that! It's just as easy as finding who among the enemy's raiding force put that block in your head, and making them remove it."

"..."

It made just as little sense as it sounded. The Treecko whimpered to herself.

"Let me put it to you this way," the Alakazam said, leaning in. "It's a tough world out there. I know you're confused and flustered about all this, but take a moment to consider what I'm offering here. Out there, nobody knows about you or what you've been through, but in here, you got a whole load of them. People like me, who are really, really determined to help you through this. Isn't it better to think about the necessities? Food, water, shelter?"

It was a bit fast to be thrust into servitude, certainly, but at least she could be guaranteed somewhere to stay. Food to eat, water to drink. Truly, the basic necessities outweighed whatever concerns she may have had about the brevity of it all.

"Can… can we just slow down for sec?"

"I'm afraid not. There are a lot of other 'mon waiting to be processed. It's a busy time for us."

It was obvious she was getting nowhere with the Alakazam if she were to continue with her normal line of questioning, and pondering past events to try and paint a picture was out of the question. Perhaps it was possible to get some answers if she simply played along.

"W-what would I have to do?"

"Not much, I'd think. We'd teach you to fight, to work in a team, to follow orders… From there it's basically just a matter of following directions until this whole thing sorts itself out."

"What if it's a mistake?" she asked, hopeful. "M-maybe I just hit my head on something. This'll all just go away soon."

"I can see _inside_ your mind, miss. You definitely didn't hit your head. We'd be having a very different conversation if you did."

She choked up, the odds of her avoiding whatever hell she'd found herself in dwindling by the second.

"Why… Why did this happen to me? Why can't I… W-who am I?"

The Alakazam leaned even closer, his voice nothing more than a whisper. It was almost soothing in a way, grounding the Treecko before her thoughts wandered far enough for the block to return.

"We can help you figure that out. To do that, though, I need you to say it. If you want to make a change in the world in order to get yours, and countless others' memories back, if you want to stay warm and well-fed, then I need you to say you're willing to enlist. I understand there's not much you can trust right now, but I promise this won't be a mistake."

Could the situation possibly get any worse from the get-go? The Treecko was being cornered with no conceivable means of escape. She knew nothing of the world outside the building she found herself in, nor how accepting of her the Pokémon that inhabited it would be.

"I'm scared."

"We all are, sometimes. Many Pokémon have dominion over the world around them, but the hard part is conquering our own selves. For the sake of your memories and your life, though, are you willing to overcome your fear? That's the question."

The Treecko started at the Alakazam, reluctance shining above all. In the end, however, was there anything to do but blindly trust him? Truly, the situation couldn't get much worse, and it wasn't as if she had the resources to inform herself on the correct decision to make.

"O-okay… I'll do it."

"That's the spirit. Most people around here call me 'Doc', but my name is Adj. I'm one of the specially ordained psychic doctors here in Whiteridge. You'll probably have forgotten about me in a little while, anyways, but you're surely a special case. I'll make sure to schedule a few followups with your company leader so they can remind you."

The Treecko shot the Alakazam a stare full of the closest thing she could manage to resentment. Of course he had waited until after her agreement to enlist in order to answer even her most simple questions.

"Hey, don't be like that," Adj said, raising the Treecko's chin with a hand. "This is exciting, remember? Aren't you excited to get your memories back?"

She said nothing, unsurprised regarding her instant regret of her agreement. Why had she let him overcome her better nature and pressure her into a cause she knew nothing about? What was really going on?

Adj, after absorbing her answer, or lack thereof, sighed for a moment.

"Here, let's get your number."

"Number?"

"Basically an identification. You can come up with your own name for yourself in however long you want to take, since you can't remember your given one, but your number will serve a more… official purpose"

"I'm having trouble catchi—"

"Can't follow along, yeah… Can I tell you something?"

She looked at Adj for a moment as he crouched beside the tilted chair on which she still laid.

"I want to help you, just like I want to help everyone who comes through that door with a block. Sadly, you're not the only one with a condition like this. And, I know it might sound scary, but you'll be a lot better prepared for what's ahead if you don't stop yourself so often to say 'I don't know', or 'I don't understand'. Sometimes, and I know this is going to sound stupid, but sometimes it's better just to jump in headfirst and ask questions later. That's how I survived, anyways."

"You had a… a block?"

"Well, no… I feel for you, though, I really do. Let's get that number, shall we?"

Jumping in headfirst… She thought about it for a little bit as Adj turned and fiddled with a few papers on his desk. How could she possibly move ahead without knowing the basics of the situation she was getting herself into? Was it too late to back out?

"Here we are. I think you'll do just fine there. Which would put you at…"

Adj was holding a stack of papers, flipping through them one at a time until he came to a singular one, which he read closely.

"26130504252, seems about right. You wanna know the details about every little number in there?"

The Treecko looked at Adj oddly.

"26th Legion Thirteenth Cohort Fifth Company Squad Four. I know it doesn't mean a lot to you right now, but you'd do good to memorize it as quick as possible. Just know for now you'll probably get called 252 by most of the higher-ups. It's your species identification number. All technical stuff, nothing to worry about."

As Adj moved around her, tinkering with various files and other objects, she quickly became worried she'd made the wrong decision. At perhaps the most inopportune time, however, her stomach decided to growl, reminding her of one of the main reasons she'd halfheartedly gone along with this in the first place.

"Here you go."

252 had hardly noticed the Alakazam was holding his ink bowl until after it was right in front of her, next to a piece of paper filled with footprint runes. She felt as if she could understand the words, but her brain didn't make the connection.

"Sign here?"

"What's that?"

"Oh, only the enlistment contract. Just something to keep on record."

"..."

252's feelings of suspicion flared up again. This wasn't right. None of this was right.

She looked up at the Alakazam, however, and the reassuring face he had plastered on. Food, water, shelter. She needed those, and he was probably right in saying not many others would be too keen on caring for her as she got accustomed to the world around her.

So, biting her lip and without further words, she dipped her right hand in the ink bowl and tentatively pressed it against the paper. The ink was sticky and didn't drip, yet completely dissolvable when Adj offered her a bowl of water.

"I got you in the company that's supposed to be finishing formation tonight, if that makes you feel any better," Adj said with his back turned. "Last of the members are trickling in, and the orientation's scheduled for later on."

"Orientation?"

"Yep. You'll get to learn with everyone else about all the little, nitty-gritty stuff. How we work around here, stuff like that. You'll get it down in no-time, promise."

For the next part, Adj opted to give the Treecko a look out of the corner of his eye. "You're not as alone as you think. Everyone's a bit nervous to be here, but you're going to be strong, right? Strong for your memories?"

She wasn't in much of a position to object. Now, her mind was almost entirely on food. She was feeling rather hungry, after all, as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"Really, though, above all else, we all want to thank you for your service to make Our Great Kingdom a better place. You're a whole lot braver than I am."

"U-uhh…"

"Hey, if you remember one thing from your old pal Adj, remember that stopping everything to ask questions doesn't fly very well. A lot of people don't like it when things around here get questioned. Especially when _they're_ the ones being questioned."

"Adj?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"If the block comes back and starts hurting again…"

It was the only thing she could think to ask with an answer Adj may have actually been willing to give. She didn't even need to finish the question.

"I'm gonna be straight with you. You're probably not gonna meet anyone else around here that'll hurt as bad as you do when your block activates. The thing is, though, that you eventually get a hold on it and can control it. Your head just starts filling up with all-new, good memories that you stop thinking so much about what happened before all this. Until then, just keep counting. If you can get your hands on a Payapa Berry, I also heard those help numb the pain. But either way, the only way to move is forwards, right?"

"I… I guess so…"

"Now, are you ready?"

"Ready?"

"Ready to fight for your memories? I want you to be excited. Just remember that, even when the going's tough. It's worth it, as long as you can get that stupid block out of your head, right?"

"Ok. I'm… Ready?"

Adj smiled and chuckled for a moment before reaching out and giving the Treecko a pat on the shoulder. "Work on your confidence. You're gonna need it."

Just then, an odd figure stepped through the opening to the Treecko's right. Seemingly levitating off the ground, the creature was mostly black and looked to be made almost entirely out of clay. Multiple, wide, red eyes made a complete circled around the creature's head, all in a level line.

" _Got another one ready, Doc?_ "

She subconsciously flinched as she felt the creature's grating voice _inside_ her mind… Telepathy. After discerning the ability, she made an attempt to recognize its species. Thankfully, the name came to the forefront of her mind after only a few seconds of thought.

 _Claydol._

"Go on," Adj encouraged. "Say you're ready."

"I'm ready…"

"Good, good… Now, 344 here will take you to where you'll be staying."

Adj willed the Treecko to rise from the chair with an expectant stare. He had an irreplaceable charisma about him; she had already failed to tell him 'no' multiple times. Something in her head told her that this made him good at his job.

So she went, unsure and still quite dazed, with the Claydol. Adj held a small slip of paper in front of one of the creature's eyes for a moment before receiving confirmation.

She turned apprehensively once more towards the Alakazam once she was by the Claydol's side, but Adj's attention already seemed to be elsewhere.

" _Stick close to me, hm?_ "

"Yeah…"

252 timidly followed as the Claydol took the lead, leaving the established building through the door in which he'd come. 252's senses were quickly overcome, however, as she got a look at the world just outside.

It was an entirely different world, Pokémon bustling about every which way without a given pattern. Hundreds of conversations converged to create a constant, noisy buzz, only accentuated by the creak of unseen wooden carts and the occasional yell of command. The only similarity was the packed dirt floor beneath 252. The ground outside, too, had been tread on so often as to completely solidify it.

The air was hot and musty, and a look at the sky around camp provided no clue regarding its whereabouts. She could only make assumptions of the geography based on the lack of hills. Everything seemed flat.

Tents and temporary shelters were strewn about on either side of 252 without any obvious pattern, used apparently for a wide variety of reasons. They ranged in size from a few feet tall to large enough to accommodate multiple creatures the size of a Tyranitar. One of such creatures, an Aggron, narrowly missed crushing 252 as she did her best to stick to 344 while taking in her surroundings.

252 noticed something odd about each creature to pass her by, however, from those as small as the Joltik to the Onix. 252 didn't recognize this as a part of a normal Pokémon's anatomy.

It was a badge, or at the very least some sort of emblem, seemingly embedded into each of the Pokémon's skin. A simple crescent moon, gold in color and set against a warm purple sky. The entire badge was circular, the trim of which she deduced to be bronze initially before catching glimpses of the stray silver every so often.

It was all nearly too much to take in. The sights, the smells, the sensations. The ground beneath 252's feet had been tread thousands upon thousands of times for thousands of reasons. As 344 broke off from what seemed to be the main area of traffic and traveled towards what seemed to be a more residential side of the camp, 252 could only pose a single, real question.

 _What did I just get myself into?_

* * *

 **Chapter length is going to be much shorter with this story as compared to SaC. Just thought I'd put it out there.**

 **I have a few other chapters of this story just about done, but I was tentative about publishing this in the first place. Just know, if reviewers do, in fact, end up liking it and I choose to continue, there won't be a normal update schedule. SaC will take precedence as I continue in Act III and eventually conclude the story, but I still wanted to get this story out there and maybe have it catch a few eyes.**

 **I would really appreciate any and all reviews, seeing as I'm still somewhat tentative about this. I** _ **need**_ **criticism here, so any you can provide would be great. Or, if it's more your cup of tea, just let me know whether or not you liked it. Again, any and all reviews are appreciated.**

 **Cheers!**


	3. A Point of Darkness in Blinding Light

**l**

 **Chapter II**

* * *

 _Grrr…_

344 turned around as the sound of 252's stomach pierced their silence. It was even loud enough to rise above the nearby cacophony of voices and racket.

Her thoughts until that moment had been a tumultuous mix of resentment and regret, but 252 remembered in that instant the reason she'd pressed her inked hand against the paper Adj had offered her.

" _There's three mess halls on base,_ " 344 said simply, turning back around and continuing on as 252's face lit up red. " _I'm sure after I get you acquainted with your company leader you can find your way around and grab something to eat._ "

"T-thank you…" 252 said, looking downwards. Everything was happening so fast. Maybe it was just best to shut everything out and ask questions later. However, hadn't Adj told her not to ask questions? Why would she take advice from Adj, though? The Alakazam had done nothing but manipulate her from the start.

" _Until you know your own way around here, make sure you memorize our path._ "

"O-oh… Okay…"

She hadn't been following along, her thoughts having been too jumbled to comprehend much else outside of her putting one foot in front of the other. She was completely lost.

As the duo moved further and further from what seemed to be the center of activity, the tent layout became much more organized and structured. They seemed to be separated into groups, each identified with a footprint rune or two.

The written language seemed familiar to the Treecko, but, as was the situation in Adj's clinic, she couldn't decipher their meaning. As if he'd read her mind, Claydol reached out.

" _Can you read or write?_ "

As 252 opened her mouth to answer, her block kicked in, bringing her thoughts to a literal screeching halt. She stopped in her tracks, clutching her head.

"I-I don't know…" she heaved, slowly opening her eyes as the pain began to subside.

" _Well, I suppose a majority of Pokémon here aren't able to decipher much more than some of the more important symbols. Not exactly the most educated bunch I've seen._ "

"Uh, sure…" 252 forced out in response, willing herself to take a few more steps forward and continue following the Claydol. Even with all of what seemed to be an entire row of eyes circling his head, she wondered if he'd actually picked up on her block activating. If so, he'd made no outward reaction.

The next few minutes were spent in silence. A few Pokémon had stopped for a few moments during 252's episode, but continued on as if it were a regular occurence. As more passed her by, mind lit up with their names.

 _Charmeleon. Starly. Pansage. Vibrava and Buneary._ _Golisopod._

It was almost remedial to her, giving a sense of satisfaction in being able to identify _something_ in the unfamiliar world around her. She almost began wondering about her own origin. At the first signs of the block initiating, however, she quickly started counting under her breath to avert her mind.

As the pair continued through the encampment, the Pokémon started thinning out. Rather than a constant stream, now, it seemed as if passing Pokémon were walking together in groups.

A full five minutes of nothing but silent walking followed. Groups of Pokémon passing them were few and far between. 252 made use of her time trying to survey the now-entirely uniform tents she passed. Each tent was in a very deliberate location, seemingly separated from others by groups.

" _Some information you may not know to pass the time, perhaps?_ "

"Yes!"

252 cleared her throat, unable to contain her exasperation regarding the lack of information she'd been given.

"Yes please. Thank you."

" _Very well. Our location, Whiteridge, is one of Our Great Kingdom's five regional capitals. It's likely you were dropped off on a carriage coming from a recruiting station out in the country._ "

252 had a hard time processing anything of what Claydol meant, her mind focusing solely on his suggestion of her whereabouts before her block began affecting her.

"Wait, does that mean—ACK."

As he waited for 252's block to pass, 344 inferred what she was trying to ask and responded accordingly.

" _Potentially. Doc seemed interested enough in you to conduct an investigation. I'm sure he'll make contact to share any results he finds_."

"T-thanks."

" _No matter. Whiteridge, by extension of being a regional, serves as the base of operations for Sawyer's Legion. Cohorts currently in training are stationed here until ready for mobilization._

 _Cohort? Legion? Adj said something like that… What's it supposed to mean?_

"— _presided over by Sawyer the Genuine. To contextualize, Sawyer effectively manages the entire region. As there are those Legions that have come and gone in wars past, only the 23rd through the 27th are currently active. Sawyer's is the 26th._ "

 _What is he even saying? What is all of this? I want to—he's already moved on. It's too late to ask now._

— _rrently twenty-eight Cohorts under the 26th Legion, nineteen of which are deployed. That leaves nine here in Whiteridge, most of whi—…_ "

252 decided to give up from there. It was obvious she was getting nowhere by just trying to listen. She gazed around the bustling area, hopelessly trying to get a read on the area. It was just about as effective as listening to 344's drawl.

" _These squads are the smallest subdivision, five to six Pokémon each. You eat with these squads, sleep with these squads, raid dungeons with these squads, even die with these squads if need be._ "

"D-Die?!"

252 was able to pick up on the single word that frightened her the most. The Claydol obviously hadn't wanted that to slip, freezing in the air for a moment before continuing on.

" _We all die one day, I suppose. It is war. You'll be trained to fight and work as part of a unit, but it seems that there aren't many battles being waged nowadays, even on the front line. It's a blessing, handed down by Our Great Qu—_ "

344 lurched forwards, temporarily losing his levitational balance and falling into 252. He managed to catch himself before falling _onto_ 252 and crushing her, but she'd been knocked to the floor. 344 had been shoved from behind, the culprit, a Tyrunt now walking in the opposite direction.

"Comin' through, shedgie. Might help to use your eyes, you got so goddamn many of 'em."

The small scuffle hardly drew eyes from the passersby. Some even sent 344 a disapproving glare. The Claydol didn't need to turn his head to see them, so he lifted 252 up using his telekinesis and set her on her feet.

" _Apologies. Please ignore that. Either way, I believe we've arrived._ "

What had just happened? 344 had been just as quick to change the subject as he had with his expository blur earlier. Was he not going to comment on the Tyrunt?

The block inexplicably started again, immediately ringing much louder than it had for a while. She covered her ears and shut her eyes tight as 344 turned and gestured to what laid before them.

" _Welcome to your new home._ "

The next few minutes were an absolute blur. 252's surroundings went by unnoticed as the faint ringing of the block faded in and out. What was all this? The question, no matter how many times she asked herself or others, seemingly had no answer.

What was there to do but shut everything out and try to make sense of it all? However futile, the solace of her own mind had to be better than whatever unknown world was waiting for her outside, right?

There were others around her now, but she couldn't bother to care.

Would starting from the beginning help her to regain her thoughts? What was the point? One slip-up, and the block would smack her dead in the face.

"Quiet thing, aren't you?"

252's head snapped up at the comment. She'd been staring at her feet, mouth shut and eyes clouded.

"Yes ma'am," she said quietly to the Ambipom sitting across from her before trying to slip back into the comfort of passivity. The larger creature was flipping through a page of the report 344 had left every so often. The subtle noise was enough to, frustratingly, keep 252 in the moment.

The tent in which they sat seemed like an office of sorts. Shelves full of leather-bound books took up whatever space they could, leaving only a small area in its center for a table, cluttered with papers, and two chairs. As 252 swayed in her seat, she noticed the legs of her chair were unbalanced.

"Haven't been doing this 'commanding' thing long, but I've sure as hell never seen a Type 4 Block. They really gotcha good, didn't they?"

252's first instinct was to ask about what she meant. She found her thoughts too rushed to care, however, leading her to simply nod.

344 had left her dazed and confused with this Ambipom. He'd said something about a company leader… Is this what he meant? Why had he been so averse to explaining the simple things? Wsa her confusion amusing?

"'Woke up in recruitment line'... What does that mean?"

252 initially feared the block would come back if she tried recalling the events, but was pleasantly surprised when it didn't. She could look into her rememberable past without consequence.

"Um… I don't remember anything before I… 'woke up' in the line. The one with that Smeargle lady."

"Hm… That so? Damn, that sucks."

"It's fine… I'm just… 344 or 'Doc' didn't explain much about any of this, and I'm… I don't want to ask questions, bu-"

"Lemme stop you right there. It might be different with some of the other leaders out here, but if you shoot me a straight question, I'll shoot you a straight answer. Got me? The way I see it, there's a ton of other 'mon with blocks out there and the sooner they know what they need to know, the better they'll end up in the long run. The more we can all do to help Our Great Kingdom. You good with that?"

252 felt a small weight lift off her shoulders.

"Y-yes. Thank you."

"But hey, do me a favor and save them for a bit later if you could. I'm, uh… honestly having a bit of trouble keeping up with all the paperwork for all the 'mon that've come through here today. We'll be seein' a lot of each other, though, so don't be a stranger."

"Oh… Okay."

"Sure your teammates could answer a lot of it anyways. Squad Four? Yeah, there's only one more blocked member in your squad that isn't you. Honestly a miracle these days, some of the squads in this company even got half or more members with blocks."

So there really were that many with 252's condition? Maybe they'd be more inclined to help her, after having undoubtedly gone through the same tumultuous experience she had upon 'waking up'.

"I'm Sav, by the way. Forgot to say. This is the first company I've commanded, so… learning experience for all of us."

"It's… It's nice to meet you, Sav."

"I think we'll get along fine."

Those words comforted 252 more than anything, almost making her forget for a second the predicament she found herself in. She _would_ adjust. Prosper, even. Adj's deception and 344's lack of empathy were only limited to them.

Before she knew it, 252 had received a few papers from Sav to, "keep," with whatever personal items she may have had. None, of course.

Included amongst them was a map. However, 252 found the characters, while not illegible, to swim in her vision. She felt as if she knew the words on the page, but couldn't decipher their meaning. The map was useless as a direct result.

"What does 'ambiguous' mean on Read and Write?" Sav asked, flipping through a page of the papers 344 had supplied her.

"Um… I don't know. I probably can't read… Everything's just murky."

"Jeez, the docs have a really weird way of doing these things… Never really understood sykes. Guess that's why they're them and we're us. The ones on our side are even bigger curveballs."

Sav dipped one of the finger-like appendages on the end of her right tail into a bowl of ink.

"Can I have your map?"

252's eyes widened. Without a word, she turned the map towards Sav and sat it down on the table between them.

She pressed down on the paper, leaving two dots of ink behind at seemingly random points on the map.

"The left dot is our camp, and the right dot is the closest mess hall. Go drop your stuff in your tent and grab some grub if you need it."

"T-thank you," 252 stuttered, taking the map back and folding it up. She stood from the small wooden chair on which she sat and bowed her head towards Sav in thanks.

"Not a problem. Just get back here by sunset, or else."

252 didn't sense any malicious intent behind Sav's warning, prompting her to smile curtly. Without another word, she turned to leave the tent.

"You gonna go without knowing which tent is yours?"

252 froze, turning back around and returning to the table. On a fresh sheet of parchment, Sav quickly marked down a single rune with her still-inked tail.

"You're looking for the tent with that marking: Four. Take the paper with you."

252 nodded, grabbing the sheet before turning to leave again. Sav didn't bother stopping her this time.

After walking out of the tent's single exit, 252 took in the surroundings she'd neglected to analyze upon arriving with 344. It was a common area of sorts; a large wooden canopy provided shade to a pair of old, splinter-ridden benches dead-center in a clearing, both of which were fully populated with basic-stage and a few first-stage Pokémon conversing in groups over some sheets of paper.

Tents lined the area in a circle, most of which had flaps open. From the outside, 252 could see beds of straw made upon the wooden pallets on which the tents sat. Each tent looked to be about fifteen paces long and ten paces wide, enough to accommodate maybe a half dozen Pokémon each.

The only brick-and-mortar building in the vicinity was open-ended. As 252 curiously approached, she figured what it was almost instantly by its stench.

She attracted the gazes of a few curious Pokémon as she aimlessly wandered about the area for about a half minute. They were quickly occupied again, however, with their own conversations. 30 or so Pokémon mulled about the area, whether under the canopy or walking about, like 252. She noticed something odd about these Pokémon, however, compared to those she'd seen earlier. None of these Pokémon had the icon, the symbol she'd seen other Pokémon wearing, furthering her suspicion it was some sort of badge or emblem. Thinking back, even Sav had been wearing one with a silver trim.

It was then she remembered she had somewhere to go. She took a look at the sheet of paper on which Sav marked the rune for 'four'.

She went tent by tent, looking down at the sheet before looking up at the small plaques attached to each structure. She really felt as if she knew these runes. It was a tip-of-the-tongue sensation in which she swore she could read, but applying said knowledge was impossible. The runes jumbled themselves in her head and she was left, yet again, with nothing.

However, it wasn't an issue after she found the subject of her search. The footprint rune for 'four' was written clearly on this plaque. It meant she was in the right place. Squad Four.

344's past words flashed again in her mind. " _You eat with these squads, sleep with these squads, raid dungeons with these squads, even die with these squads if need be._ " Did this mean the Pokémon behind these tent flaps were meant to be… Friends?

It'd been so long, relatively, since the block activated, she was caught completely off guard when it hit her. The high-pitched reverberation prompted her to clutch her head and wait for it to pass. Obviously, friendship was a subject of contention in 252's mind. She'd do well to avoid it, lest she dredge up some stray memory.

After riding out her block, she straightened herself up, sighing before reaching a hand out to push through th—

"Uh, you need something?"

252 jumped at the sudden female voice, spinning around to face whoever may have proposed the question.

"You're kinda blocking the way in."

252 felt the heat rising to her face as she quickly stepped aside, gazing quietly at the creature who'd addressed her.

She remembered the species… Sneasel. The Pokémon's face contorted for a moment or two before she burst into laughter.

252 took a step back, shocked by the spontaneous reaction. The Sneasel had even managed to grab some looks from the surrounding area.

"Relax, it's not like I'm gonna bite you, scaredy Skitty" the Sneasel said lackadaisically, chuckling. "Didn't mean to make ya jump, just wanted to know what's up."

"O-oh, I, uh… Um… This tent… Squad."

"Wait, _you're_ the last one?"

Taken aback, 252 could only force herself to nod in bewilderment.

"Hey, you're finally here! I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"O-oh, uh, well… Here I am?"

Had 252 been expected? The Sneasel's already-overbearing presence gave little room for 252 to form coherent sentences.

"Jeez, I almost thought you'd never show. Got kinda scared there for a sec, y'know? Like, what if we only had five 'mon in the squad? That'd make everything so much harder. Splitting things evenly with only five would just be stupid, am I right?"

"U-uh…"

"Ah, the hell's wrong with me, where's my manners? Come on in!"

The Sneasel brushed past 252, grabbing her hand with a claw and forcefully pulling her inside before she had the chance to protest. 252 stumbled as the well-trodden dirt of the outside was replaced instead with shaven wood.

The interior was disorganized in an oddly organized way. Six beds sat in rows of three on either side of the tent, each signifying what 252 believed to be a private area. Each was equipped with a small trunk and a bed of straw, stray pieces of which were strewn about the ground underneath 252's feet. The area had a musty, yet sweet aroma about it.

252 stumbled across the floor, dragged along by the excited Sneasel. She stopped abruptly in the center of the tent, however, consequently causing 252 to fall into her with the forward momentum. The Sneasel helped her regain her footing before letting go and gesturing towards the area ahead with both sets of claws.

"Ta-da!"

252 felt her world spinning, but paused long enough to get a glimpse of what was in front of her. A bed of straw, much like the others, and two wool blankets folded neatly behind. The area was second in the sequence on the right side of the tent.

"What is—"

"Yep! Feel bad you got stuck with what was leftover, but everyone else's already been through and dropped their stuff. You got anything to put in here?"

"Uh…"

252 couldn't hope to formulate an actual response, her mind racing too quickly. As if summoned by her confusion, she felt the block as it began to poke the back of her mind.

 _What?! Why! I didn't even think about my past this ti-_

It suddenly spiked, prompting her to take a step back, clutching her forehead. The Sneasel turned, concerned and confused.

"Whoa, whoa, you alright?!"

252 grit her teeth, refusing to respond. The Sneasel, unsure of what to do, took a step forward and leaned in, placing a claw on 252's back.

"You good?" she asked again as the block started to disappear, leaving behind it a sense of empty contempt in 252's mind.

"Yeah," she said quietly, defeated, "Can I… Can I just get a second?"

"You sure you're good?" the Sneasel continued, pulling back despite completely ignoring 252's indirect request for silence. "If I didn't know any better, that was almost like—"

252 raised her head, heat rising to her face as she realized the Sneasel was starting at her with eyes full of pity.

"Right… I remembered them saying something about how the last one would be a blockhead. That… Kinda went over my head."

252 said nothing, turning her gaze towards her own feet. The Sneasel's excitable demeanor had seemingly vanished entirely.

"I, uh… c'mon."

She grabbed 252's hand once again and led her towards the bed of straw, plopped herself down, and invited 252 to do the same.

The pair sat in silence for a half minute or so, the occasional glance towards the other broken as the other nearly made eye contact.

"I, uh… sorry. About your block, I mean… I honestly can't imagine what it's like, not knowing my family, or friends, or none of that."

The Sneasel's blunt wording of the situation did little to make 252 feel better.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No," 252 put simply, bringing her knees to her chin. The bed was surprisingly comfortable despite its looks, but something about it, the room, just felt off. This wasn't home. She made sure to avert her thoughts before any notions of what 'home' truly was could manifest.

"It looked like you were really hurting… How bad is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The block. Like, they should've given you a class for it. Type 1, Type 2, so on."

"Oh, I think I remember Sav said something like that. Type… 4? I think?"

The Sneasel blanched, looking at 252 with a bewildered gaze.

"There's a _Type 4?_ "

Exasperated, 252 groaned and hid her face even further between her knees. She stared anxiously at the floor.

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" the Sneasel said, obviously realizing what she'd said to be insensitive. "I mean… It can't be _that_ bad, right? Like, they don't usually even medically clear anyone to enlist that's got anything more than a Type 1 or 2!"

252 didn't even bother trying to respond to the thought.

"So, I mean… You gotta have something going for you, right? Else they woulda just turned you away from the get-go."

She had a point. 252 knew her block to be something crippling, so there obviously had to be some sort of reason Adj had decided to take her in. However, nothing came to mind. Adj had been able to see inside her head in order to ascertain certain information about her, translated on the sheet of paper now in Sav's possession.

Maybe there had been something of note Adj saw in 252 that she didn't see in herself? Was she, perhaps, an adept fighter bef—

Her thoughts came to yet another screeching halt as the block returned, prompting a cringe. The Sneasel was obviously uneasy, reaching in to help before 252 put up a hand to stop her. After a few moments of simply counting under her breath, 252 sighed.

"Just… please stop talking about it."

The Sneasel's eyes widened, worried she'd somehow triggered the episode. She nodded quickly afterwards.

"It's… It's good to meet, you, anyways," she said simply, uneasiness showing in her voice. "If I'm going too fast, just let me know. I, uh, just get really excited meeting new 'mon."

252 looked out of the corner of her eye as the Sneasel bowed her head in greeting. Getting over herself, 252 forced a soft smile and accepted the gesture, bowing back.

"I didn't even tell you my name, did I? Name's Crystelle, but 'mon usually just call me Krys."

252 tried her best to avoid all thoughts of what her own name was, but couldn't entirely succeed. She felt twinges of the block as it poked her for getting too close to those reminiscent thoughts.

"I guess you don't have a name, then?"

252 quickly shook her head, counting numbers in her head to deviate her thoughts soon afterwards.

"What's your species number then?"

"Species… number?"

"They shoulda given you a number when you came in, and the species number's at the end of it. Should be like 3 digits."

252's eyes lit up as she realized she knew the answer. There was finally a question she could answer.

"You know the one?"

"Y-yeah! 252. I'm 252. And you, as well. Nice to meet you, I mean…"

Already Krys felt different than any Pokémon 252 had encountered previously. Perhaps it was because they were on equal footing systematically speaking, but Krys, despite being arguably more fast-paced than anyone she'd met yet, was quite the welcome change.

"You want me to leave you alone for a bit? I get it if, y'know, the block takes a lot from you. I can just let you chill on your own if you want."

"No!" 252 blurted, pulling back soon afterwards, her explosive reaction having surprised both creatures. Even though 252 was now in a position where she could simply sit and ponder, she strangely didn't want Krys to leave.

"I mean… I just got here… There's probably more I need to learn, you know?"

"How 'bout I show you around then?" Krys proposed, standing up and reaching out a claw towards 252. "I grew up in Whiteridge, just outside the base, and was here a ton when my brother enlisted. Know the place like the back of my claws."

"Actually," she said, smiling and accepting Krys' gesture. She gave Krys her map, pointing out the spots Sav had marked. "Could you show me where this is?"

Krys took a moment to peer at the map before looking up at 252 curiously. "Hungry?"

"Starving."

"Famished. Me too. Wanna go with me? I know some better places off base, but I don't think we're allowed in town until orientation and all that jazz is over."

252 grinned. This was what she needed. Even if Krys' demeanor was one of quick words and jumping thoughts, her amicable nature helped 252 forget about her predicament, if only for a moment.

"Sure."

"Come on."

Before she knew it, 252 was following the eager Sneasel out of their tent and into the common area once again. She started making conversation, turning back around every so often to ensure 252 was still following her.

"If you ask me, our teammates were honestly kinda stupid when it came to choosing their spots. Chose the outside ones first like it would've given 'em more privacy. But like, when it rains or it gets cold, you're gonna be happy you're in the middle of the tent."

"Are any of them around here?" 252 asked, looking at the Pokémon still crowded around the central benches.

"Uh," Krys responded, scanning the bunch herself. "Nope, think they're still around the battlegrounds."

"Battlegrounds?"

"Just like a training field for sparring each other. 'Bout a two minute walk that way," Krys said, pointing off to the left as they started walking again. "A few of them wanted to figure out who on the squad's got what kinda skills. But like, one of our teammates is a Monferno. An actual evolved 'mon on our squad. He's obviously the strongest around, and for me? I'm not dealing with an ultra weakness to fighting _and_ a weakness to fire, no sir. So, I said I'd just stick behind in case the last member showed up, and here we are now!"

Fire… Treecko was a grass type, wasn't she? She felt trepidation with the thought, making an image of a Monferno in her mind's eye.

"What's the rest of them like?"

"Let's see… There's another blockhead, like I said, but I've never seen her species before and she's only like a Type 1, so…"

"You keep saying that… blockhead?"

"Oh yeah, just something we say around here. A lot of the time, 'mon with the block are clumsy and uncoordinated, so 'blockhead' seemed fitting. Been saying it so long it's just kinda part of the dialect around here."

"Ah…"

"Oh, do you not like it? I can try to stop it, I guess, bu-"

"No, it's fine," 252 said, "Just don't think I've heard it before."

She quickly snapped her thoughts to something trivial as she started trying to recall her past.

"Well, outside of her—I kinda already forgot her species number—there's Rex. He was nice, I guess, but if you ask me he was kinda… Dorky. Really quirky, no-filter, borderline creepy kinda guy. You know the type?"

"Uh, sure?"

They'd since left camp and were walking in the direction Krys had pointed out previously. The mess hall was most likely the same direction.

"Tari's… Something. She seems pretty strong, but is a bit… I dunno, cold? I know her evolution's Rampardos, but I can't remember what her species' name o—"

"Cranidos?"

The name had simply popped into 252's head. At the very least, she could say she inherited her taxonomy from whatever her past life may have been.

"Hey, look at you!" Krys exclaimed, "You don't get a ton of those around here… You been places?"

"Mayb—"

252 stumbled for a moment before pausing, Krys' question having initiated her block. The Sneasel turned around after hearing 252 begin to count aloud.

"I did it again, didn't I?" she asked, shocked. "Two, I—"

"Leave it alone… Please. It's not your fault."

"But I—"

252 winced as it struck again. "Just talk about something else!" she exclaimed through the pressure, gritting her teeth.

"T-Tari… the Cranidos. She's just super dedicated. I might've pissed her off by asking too many things a little bit earlier, but I bet she'll be just fine by the time we all settle in."

252 panted, defeatedly opening her eyes. Krys had even said it herself. Nobody else had this problem as bad as she herself did. Her block was so intense as to debilitate movement at the slightest hint of thought directed at her past.

The Sneasel was obviously on edge, claws interlocked as she looked at 252 with worry.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah… Sorry about the holdup."

She hated the fact there was no way for her to deal with the block. The only solution she was given was to, in essence, wait it out and hope something happened. Who knew how long that'd take?

"I think some food would help," 252 said, keeping her eyes to the ground.

"Y-yeah, yeah, sure."

Krys turned around to lead the way once again, anxiously biting her lip.

"That's just about it, I guess… You, me, the other blockhead, Tari, Rex, and the Monferno."

252 could hear the newfound care behind Krys' voice. She was trying her hardest to make absolutely sure she didn't let any sort of question slip that might trigger the block.

"Zayne's his name, and he's well… He's really something. Yeah…"

The red feather of Krys' left ear twitched with the thought. She slowly relaxed her shoulders.

"Kinda wanted to go see him fight with all the others, but, y'know. Tari really wanted to fight too, and it wasn't like I could leave Rex or the blockhead to welcome you. Feel like Rex would put you off super quick and the blockhead, well… That's pretty self-explanatory. She's super clueless. And quiet."

252's lack of contribution to the conversation worried Krys. She slowed up, choosing to walk beside the dejected Treecko rather than continue onwards.

"You sure you're good?"

"Krys… I really appreciate that you're being nice to me. Believe me, I do. But all of this…"

She paused, choosing instead to look up at the sky as she continued onwards.

"I only remember stuff from maybe an hour ago, and since everything's been so confusing. Everybody knows so many things I don't and I… I know I said I wanted to look around, and I really need to eat something, but I just need some time to process all of this. You know?"

252 noticed the undeniable curiosity flashing across Krys' face as she mentioned she'd only regained her ability to remember a short time ago, but was satisfied to see the Sneasel kept her mouth shut. Thinking about that time too hard would undoubtedly lead to another iteration of the block, and Krys' lack of questions was helpful in 252's avoidance of the topic.

"Well… There's a ton of benches outside the mess hall… You wanna sit down and talk about it after we grab some food?"

"… Talk?"

"Yeah, just sit and talk about what's going on around here. You seem like you got a better head on your shoulders than I do, so learning the basics should be a breeze, right? You can ask me whatever you want."

"Would you really? Gods, there's so many things I have to ask, an—"

"Of course! What kinda teammate would I be if I just left you in the dark? Whatever you need to know, I gotchu."

252 was waiting for this moment. She felt uneasy in regards to asking about what were seemingly rudimentary topics, but it was evident the Sneasel would be patient with her. She felt absolutely elated at the thought.

"Everything! Anything and everything you haven't already told me is… it's important! They pushed me through all this 'enlistment' crap without telling me anything! Nothing! Oh gods, you're a lifesaver."

252's sudden shift in mood was enough to bring a smile to Krys' face.

"Don't mention it. Where should I start?"

* * *

"Okay, I'm sorry, but I still don't really get it," 252 said, sending Krys an apologetic glance. From her spot on the bench, she swung her legs anxiously.

"Nah, don't worry about it… Just know that Legions are the big big group and Cohorts are the big-ish groups, but all you're really gonna have to know about those is which ones we're in."

"Okay… I'll work on memorizing that later."

"So, do you remember all those 'mon sitting at the benches back near our tent? They might be in different squads, but they're part of our Company. The Company is what's led by Sav, and we have our squad, which is me, you, and the four other 'mon I told you about. Better?"

"A bit… Sorry I'm so slow with it all. When that Claydol I was talking about explained everything, it was just so fast. I couldn't keep up."

"Sounds like an asshole," Krys snickered, licking her claws clean of the blue jam she'd used on her bread. Their meal had been nothing more than bread, cheese, and a small bit of jam, but 252 had devoured it all nonetheless. Even after Krys had selflessly offered some of the food she'd received, 252 could really only say her hunger had been postponed.

"How about I take you off base after orientation?" Krys said excitedly, turning towards 252. We can get some actual food! The base is good if you're just looking for, like, a quick snack, but most of the actual soldiers go off base and get food in town."

"Wouldn't we have to pay for that? I don't think I have any money…"

"I know most of the shopkeeps around here. I've gotten used to running errands for them and in exchange they give me stuff. It ain't like I ever got money to pay for it anyways."

"O-oh…"

"Hell, screw it! Let's bring the entire team! Have like, a team dinner or something! That'd be fun, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, maybe," 252 trailed off. She wondered if the rest of the team would be nearly as accepting of her as Krys was. It was more than likely the least of her worries, but what if she drew the irk of the team?

Krys had explained the concept of mystery dungeons, an idea 252 thought herself already familiar with. While she couldn't ponder her past to deduce where she'd become experienced with dungeons, she felt as if she was seasoned in dungeon crawling as a whole.

If she was to raid dungeons with her team, their dynamic would definitely have a result. Curious, she proposed the question to Krys.

"So, about the block."

"Yeah?"

"What do other Pokémon think? Like, about blockheads."

"In general?"

"Sure."

"Well, really just depends on the 'mon with the block, but in general, think about it like this. Hardworking 'mon aren't really gonna like others that can't really contribute to society as good as they can. Lotta blockheads are really disoriented for a while, and they can't really do much."

"Great," 252 said, sighing.

"Don't think too much about it. Lotta 'mon feel bad for blockheads and understand they were attacked, y'know? The enemy wanted you guys to forget about what they did, so they lock up your memories until they can find a way to start erasing them completely. It's awful, and a lot of 'mon feel terrible for blockheads because of it."

"This isn't really the place to try and get pity, though, is it?"

Krys looked like she had an optimistic answer on the tip of her tongue. She stopped, however, biting her lip.

"It's fine," 252 said, resting her head on her fist. "I'll… Figure it out, I guess. Really all I can do, huh?"

"That's the spirit," Krys said reassuringly. "Got anything else you wanna ask?"

"Too much," she responded simply, thinking to herself for a second. What was most pressing at the moment? She knew at least the basics regarding life at camp, the intricacies of which would most likely be learnable at a later date. She knew what her block was and why it acted the way it did.

Why did she really have it, though?

"Before we go back," she said, "what's the war about? Why are we even here?"

Krys clicked her tongue.

"See, thought you'd ask that. Problem is I'm not really a politics type of 'mon."

"You don't know?!"

"Of course I know! Kinda… Just haven't really been keeping up on the details, y'know? It's not like anyone in my family can read super good."

"Why'd you come to enlist if you didn't know what we're even fighting for?"

"Well, I mean, my brother came and fought. That's probably, like, the major reason, I guess."

"O-okay…"

What could 252 really say? Kris would've offered to enlighten her on the situation if she thought herself able to elaborate in decent capacity.

"But yeah, it's honestly kinda complicated, and I bet there's a lot of 'mon that'd explain it better than me, anyways. Sorry about that one."

"That's okay…"

"I probably wouldn't worry about it for now, honestly," Kris said, standing to leave. 252 quickly followed suit. "It's not like we're ever gonna fight 'em, anyways. Apparently, the only battles that really ever happened went on years ago, so I doubt we'll actually be doing anything outside of dungeon crawling."

It was a reassuring thought, but at the same time, a small feeling of dread fell over 252.

"Oh…"

"Something wrong with that? Dungeon crawling is actually pretty fun, trust me. Between that and checking the area for shifty 'mon, there's really nothin' to it."

"No, it's just… I was told the only way to get rid of my block was to find the Pokémon that put it in me…"

"Ah, gotcha. So just sticking around one place ain't gonna be good for you, then."

252 nodded, lowering her head.

"Well, I mean, there's a ton of opportunities depending on what you wanna do after training and everything. Dungeon crawling's just a big part of training. Kinda like grunt work, y'know?"

"What do you mean? Opportunities?"

Kris started walking, prompting 252 to follow alongside her.

"There's always the basic route most 'mon go through, just follow orders and do basic stuff until they either serve their time and quit or get promoted. But, depending on species, some 'mon start working with more specialized teams that might work better for them. For example, you're a Treecko, so you might end up going and working with some more scouting-oriented divisions after a while."

Kris had led 252 away from the mess hall in a different direction than the one in which they'd come. Soon, they were on what seemed to be a thoroughfare similar, if not identical, to the one 252 had come through earlier with 344. Through Kris' explanation, she had much more freedom to look around and take in all that was around her.

"It's really up to you how much or little you wanna do," Kris said. "I'd get if you wanna travel around after a while, if it means finding your memories."

"What do you plan on doing?"

Krys seemed taken aback at the question.

"O-oh, well… I think I'm gonna do something, just don't know yet. But honestly, I don't think I'd mind going to fight, y'know?"

She swung her claws at nothing in what seemed to be a preplanned combination. 252 stopped, looking at Kris oddly. The Sneasel turned and smirked at the Treecko.

"Part of me really wants to take a nice, big chunk out of a damn syke."

252 said nothing initially, analyzing what Kris had said. She couldn't help but feel slightly offstandish at the Sneasel's display, but 252 knew she was likely doing nothing more than showing off. Was it an attempt to impress her?

"Syke?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kris said, returning to normal and turning fully towards 252, knocking herself on the head frivolously. "That's what the enemy's called, forgot to say. Sykes. Psychics. There aren't a ton around anymore that haven't already joined the other side. Don't know what their deal is, but most of 'em are just bad eggs."

"Ah, makes sense…"

It really didn't, but 252 couldn't think of much else to say. She remembered Adj and 344 in that moment, wondering. Were psychic types like Alakazam and Claydol a rarity around camp? 252 supposed she hadn't seen any psychics since having last left 344, even roaming around the place.

Sav had said something about "the ones on our side" in reference to psychics like Adj. This was hopefully what she was referring to.

"I think that's part of why they like putting blocks in people," Kris said, "Since they're mostly sykes, they can do it freely without worrying about us finding a counter to it. Our side just doesn't have the psychic manpower to find a cur—"

Kris promptly shut her mouth as she noticed 252 had stopped. She bit her lip, realizing that her words had, once again, triggered 252's block.

"Ah jeez…"

The echoes of 252's block rang in her head for a few more moments. Unclenching her teeth, she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who wanted to know."

"Yeah, but I… I'm really not meaning to do it, Two."

"... Two?"

"Y-Yeah! 252, Two… Just seems a bit more natural to say. Do you not like it?"

252 thought about it for a moment. She certainly didn't dislike the nickname, but it didn't seem like something that fit exceptionally well. Seeing as she felt twinges of the block whenever she even thought about trying to recollect her true name, however, she figured she would much prefer the nickname as a temporary measure.

"It's nice," she said, smiling. "I like it."

* * *

 **Thank you all so much for the positive reception on the first chapter, and especially to Ambyssin and Aewynessa, my first reviewers here! I fixed a lot of the issues with the first chapter, and hopefully was able to create something of quality with this second chapter.**

 **I had this chapter finished about a month and a half ago, but didn't want to release it until I forced myself to finish the chapter I'd been concurrently writing for Seven and Counting. I don't believe it's a matter of me losing interest, but new projects always seem to intrigue me for the first few chapters. This is no exception.**

 **Exposition in a story like this is surprisingly hard to write. Amnesiac protagonists often help in this regard, but I didn't want the fic to be entirely just expositing the world in itself. Characters need building as well, as does a motive for the main protagonist, and balancing all these aspects is difficult to maintain. I'd appreciate advice/feedback in this regard.**

 **As always, any and every review helps, even if it's just as much as what you felt about the chapter. I need criticism, especially now, before I walk myself into a pit like I did with the opening chapters of Seven and Counting. I really don't want a repeat of that nightmare of a rewrite…**

 **Thanks!**


	4. Squad Four

**Been switching around chapters, more info below. Don't be alarmed that this isn't the same as what Chapter 3 was previously. There IS a prologue now, and it's entirely new content. I would recommend reading it.**

* * *

 **Chapter III**

* * *

"I think I'm just gonna lay down for a little bit, try and process all this. Might help with the headaches."

"Yeah, go for it. I'll give you some room."

252 nodded her thanks before slipping into the tent. Thankfully, it seemed as if no other members of their squad had yet returned from their sparring. This was the very first moment 252 had to herself, and she felt the gravity of the situation hit her full-force as her eyes met the straw of her bed. Every bit of curiosity she'd previously held had been transformed into apathy the second she left Krys' gaze.

The initial feeling was that, again, of hopelessness, but she quickly snuffed it out, as self-pity would do little to further her standing in the situation. Her legs gave out and she flopped, face-first, onto the small blanket.

"Ughhhhhhh…"

She'd long since abandoned the idea that the entire situation may have been some sort of strange fever dream. Though, perhaps the only way to know for sure was to get some sleep?

She wanted to think about what had happened, but to do this at the risk of the block activating? No thank you. She'd been faced again and again with the reality regarding how difficult it was to streamline her thinking. One stray thought would lead her down the slippery slope approaching the threshold of the block; her memories after waking up, safe, but those before, dan—

She craned her neck and grit her teeth as a short-yet-bitter instance of the block manifested.

An exhale later it was gone, the silence following a ringing in her ears the only clarity she could hope to gain from the situation.

 _Don't think about the past, then. Think about the present. Think about things you can actually change._

What were the facts? She'd been, voluntarily or involuntarily, recruited into the military of Our Great Kingdom.

Why? They were fighting a war. Against psychics. But not all psychics? Her mind's eye briefly showed her Adj. Defectors, maybe? Was there a 50/50 split amongst which psychics they were fighting? How would she know the difference between a psychic on her side or a psychic working for the enemy? A syke?

The badges… Every member of Our Great Kingdom's army had one. Krys had explained this much on their way back from the mess hall. They were a unique identification method displaying information about the wearer. Simple enough.

Why were they fighting the sykes? No clue. Twinges of the block prompted 252 to move away from that train of thought.

But she knew her individual motivation. If she could find whatever syke had put the block in her, she could capture them and force them to remove it. It was a long shot, but no other lead on how to get her memories back had yet shown itself. Despite how little she trusted most Pokémon around her, she wouldn't have been able to make an educated decision without external information.

What else? 252 turned, staring at the ceiling of the tent. Krys had mentioned that the hierarchical structure of the military itself wasn't particularly important as it applied to her. Meaning, while she certainly had time to learn about details like that in the future, it wasn't a priority.

 _Finding out_ _ **why**_ _we're fighting would probably be a good start. Also, trying to figure out where I came from… It might help me remember something._

Someone had mentioned how those with low-intensity blocks at times retained some information about their past. Small details, like their name, birthplace, parents. No specific memory, but if 252 was able to find even the smallest of cracks in her block, it would be worth exploiting.

 _I wonder if there's people missing me out there, somewhere._

It was a valid thought. Did 252 have a family? Friends? If sykes had attacked her home and put a block in her, was it reasonable to think those Pokémon she knew would still be out there, somewhere?

The block didn't like that idea. 252 took a few deep breaths as she waited for it to pass. The thoughts, however, were too strong to initially overcome.

What if the Pokémon she knew met the same fate and found themselves in Whiteridge, just like her?

The thought compelled her to sit up promptly before the block struck again, much stronger this time. She frustratedly hissed each number as she counted up from zero, waiting for the ringing to subside.

 _What's the point of thinking about that? Figure out who_ _ **you**_ _are first, dummy._

Just like that, she'd come full circle after promising herself to only think about the present upon starting her introspection. The mysteriousness of the past, seemingly, was too alluring to ignore entirely.

She'd squandered her quiet time. She shifted her gaze towards the tent's entrance as footsteps approached. Was Krys coming to check on her? It'd only been five minutes since they'd last seen each other.

She picked up on the Sneasel's voice almost instantly, and though she couldn't pick up each individual word, she quickly discerned Krys was talking about her.

A new voice, and its male owner, however, were first to enter the tent.

"Yeah, from what you're saying it sounds like she's already better off than… What's her name? 475?"

 _Nidoran._

And a scrawny one at that. 252 couldn't recall where she'd seen Nidoran before, but this guy was _tiny_. The only seemingly normal characteristic about him was the size of the horn atop his forehead, almost massive when compared to the rest of him. She couldn't help but wonder if it threw off his balance.

She only realized after his inquisitive, red eyes locked with her own that she was visible. 252 quickly spun back around, having been laying awkwardly with her head in the walkway as she thought to herself.

"479."

This was another new voice, significantly more even and smooth compared to the scratchy, uneven inflection of the Nidoran. 252 hadn't caught a glimpse of who this voice belonged to, panicking as she combed her limited memories for what information Krys had given on their teammates.

"Right, right… Hey Krys, she isn't asleep…"

"Then go introduce yourself, idiot."

252 gulped, already feeling much more embarrassed than she figured she should have. She hadn't even done anything!

Thankfully, Krys took the initiative, peering over the half-wall between 252's area and the one adjacent.

"You feeling better?"

"S-sure…"

 _It's only been a few minutes._

252 found herself taken aback as Krys leaned over the wall, using her lanky arms to hoist 252 to her feet. Once her head was over the partition, she immediately exchanged looks with the source of that second voice. The Monferno Krys had mentioned earlier.

"Zeke and Rex, meet Two."

"Uh, hey?" the Nidoran said, breaking the few seconds of awkward tension.

252 broke eye contact with the Monferno to glance at the Nidoran. She had to step out of her bed in order to see him from behind the half-wall.

"N-nice to meet you. Zeke?"

"I'm Zeke."

252's eyes snapped back to the Monferno as he corrected her. His face was entirely calm, void of almost any emotion.

"O-oh!" she stuttered, smiling nervously. "Okay…"

The Monferno's blank stare did little to affirm anything 252 had said. She bit the inside of her cheek, peering helplessly at Krys. The Sneasel seemed full of herself, sliming as if she was satisfied in simply fulfilling her obligation to introduce the team.

Rex whistled, breaking the dead quiet that was soon to set in afterwards. "That's gotta suck, huh?"

"What are you even talking about?" Zeke said calmly, shifting his gaze towards Rex. The Nidoran's face quickly fell.

"Y-Y'know… Messing up our names like that?"

Zeke didn't say anything further. His stare couldn't even be called a glare: too blank to deem malicious but at the same time still successful in applying pressure on Rex. The effects were visible. The Nidoran shifted uncomfortably for a second before chuckling quietly.

"Yeah, I'll, uh… Just go check up on Tari. Right… Um, nice to meet you."

252, suddenly remembering she was supposedly the center of attention, nodded her head. Rex turned, giving Zeke something of an apologetic stare before scurrying out of the tent.

"Don't feel too bad about him, Two," Krys said, turning to the Treecko as soon as Rex was gone. 252 herself was having a hard time processing whatever abomination of a conversation had just occurred. "It looks like everybody's just about had it with him, and it's really only been a few hours."

"He tries too hard. He'll relax once the nerves of being here go down."

252 found her gaze slowly making its way back to Zeke again as he scratched his temple. The Monferno smiled softly.

"It's nice to meet you," he put simply. "Felt right to come in here and introduce ourselves, but Krys said you might've been sleeping."

"N-no, not really… All this, it's just a lot to process. I, uh, didn't 'wake up' until just a little bit ago."

"Yeah, yeah, she was like, super disoriented when I ran into her the first time," Krys said to Zeke, tinges of excitement seeping into her voice. She reached down and grabbed 252's arm at the wrist. "But we're pals now, right Two?"

"S-sure," she said absentmindedly, unable to break eye contact with Zeke. His soft smile slowly faded.

"Well, hope we work well together."

"Yeah… Same."

For a moment, a tiny fraction of a second, 252 wasn't the lost, disoriented amnesiac she'd come to know as herself. She shook her head and blinked, realizing Krys was still attached.

"If you aren't going to sleep, do you want to meet 479 and Tari?"

"Okay."

"Yeah, we'll be out in a sec, Zeke," Krys said, her grip on 252 tightening.

He nodded, silently turning and exiting the tent. A few seconds of silence persisted, after which 252 slowly took her arm away from Krys.

The Sneasel, however, after making sure the coast was clear, grabbed 252 by each of her shoulders and looked her dead in the eyes. 252 stared back, startled. She was silent for a few moments, creating a moment of tension 252 didn't particularly know how to react to.

"Isn't he awesome?!"

"W-what?"

"Zeke! I haven't seen a ton of evolved 'mon before, but ughhhh…"

"I'm not following…"

"He's awesome! They way he stuck up for you when Rex was being stupid…"

"It didn't really bother me."

"Just, in general. He's so cool."

"I guess?"

"Sorry if you, like, wanted to rest or anything. If any of this is too much—"

"I'm alright, trust me. You helped a ton earlier, and honestly I'm feeling a lot less confused."

Of course, it was only a half-truth, but Krys beamed at the remark nonetheless. She finally let go of 252 to turn and proudly march towards the entrance of the tent.

 _Seems like a bit of a weird combination. Dark Ice and Fire Fighting? Eh, Krys has always been a bit of an oddball anyways._

More importantly, she recalled that instant in which she'd forgotten her entire predicament. Her mind had been so occupied as to render her completely oblivious, if even for just a short time. Not feeling the anxiety she'd come to know as her new norm felt unnaturally alleviating. Perhaps meeting the rest of the team would elicit a similar effect.

252 kicked some stray bedding back onto the pile before slowly following Krys back outside. In her mind, almost anything was better than sitting around and giving the block an opportunity to show itself.

The daylight was much harsher than she'd remembered, though the sun was long past its peak. A significantly greater amount of Pokémon now crowded the common area of the company's camp. Both of the benches were filled entirely; a vast majority were simply mulling about the area, talking in groups.

Krys was waiting just outside the tent, and offered 252 a claw. 252 didn't bother protesting, allowing Krys to, once again, grab her wrist and lead her through the crowd.

She caught sight of Zeke, chatting casually with a few other Pokémon. A Bunnelby, an Aron, and a few others. None of them, if 252's memory of Krys' earlier description served her correctly, were the 'Tari' or '479' they were supposed to meet. A quick glance later, he was saying a short goodbye and meeting back up with 252 and Krys.

They then took to wandering the crowd. Perhaps fifty Pokémon were present, so the body count was particularly overbearing as compared to the rush 252 had experienced closer to the center of the base. Ponyta, Rhyhorn, Shinx…

252 spotted Tari before either of the others did, noticing the telltale blue of a Cranidos' skull peeking out amongst the crowd. It was just as she'd envisioned in her mind's eye. She was taller than most other Pokémon around, standing just a few inches above Krys.

"That them?"

"Oh, nice! Good find, Two. Tari! Hey, Tari!"

252 felt like her arm was going to be ripped out of its socket as Krys weaved in and out of groups of conversing Pokémon, regardless of whether or not she was interrupting. The most 252 could do was send each of them apologetic glances when she was shot daggers. Zeke, having been left behind, followed at a much more leisurely pace.

The Cranidos slowly turned to face 252 and Krys as they approached, and immediately 252 felt off-put. Her face wore a natural scowl, one that deepened even further as soon as she caught sight of Krys. She sighed before sending a sideways glance to the side, as if looking for an avenue of escape.

Hovering over Tari's shoulder was a much smaller creature. A Rotom, whose eyes lit up for just a moment upon seeing Krys before taking a page from Tari's book and forcing a much more neutral stare.

"I'm not going anywhere," Tari said, spite teeming at the edges of her words. "You really don't have to go pushing through everybody."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Krys said before presenting 252 with both hands as if she were a gift. "Y'know how I stayed behind for the last member? This is her! Two, meet Tari."

252 couldn't help but shrink down into herself and send the Cranidos a nervous smile. Tari blinked, unimpressed.

"Blockhead?"

"Y-yeah, but—"

Zeke finally caught up, sending a smile to both Tari and 479. The Rotom smiled back while Tari quickly tore her eyes away. It seemed she swallowed any comment she was about to make regarding 252.

She sighed again. Only then did she give 252 a once-over.

"At least you don't look as bad as this one," she said gruffly, motioning towards the Rotom hovering above her. 479, as 252 took the semi-compliment, forced herself to chuckle at the remark. "How bad's the block?"

252 found her eyes flitting back and forth between 479 and Tari. The dynamic between the two seemed… Odd… Then again, what hadn't been odd since she'd woken up?

"You deaf?"

"H-huh?"

"I asked how bad your block was. Spit it out."

"Leave her be. She just didn't hear you," Zeke said, attracting 252's attention. Another participant in the conversation did nothing but fluster her even further, regardless of whether or not he was trying to help.

Krys had since taken a step forward, obviously riding off Zeke's coattails.

"Yeah, like Zeke said, sh—"

"It's a Type 4," 252 asserted, nudging Krys aside. Getting it out before everyone got swept up in an argument was probably for the best. Tari's attention, however, snapped to her as a confused gawk overtook her face.

"Type _what_?"

"Type 4," 252 said, a little less confidently. She was quickly regretting her choice.

"Is she kidding?"

Tari looked between Krys and Zeke, the former of which shook her head. The Cranidos then broke out into something of a disbelieving laugh.

"No way! That's a joke, right?"

Silence.

"Right?"

"It's something she has to work at, just like every other 'mon with a block," Zeke said. This did little to satisfy Tari.

Her neutral scowl was back on as she locked eyes with 252. Krys stepped even further forward as Tari advanced, but it was soon made obvious the Cranidos wasn't going to do anything more than size up 252 once again. She rolled her eyes.

"Gotta be in my squad, right?" she whispered under her breath. "Can't catch a break. How the hell do you even get in with a Type 4? Isn't that crippling?"

"I guess we'll find out."

Tari sent a quick glare in Krys' direction for the comment, but was quickly put off by Zeke's unrelenting, blank stare. The same one he'd used to dissuade Rex back in the tent. Tari scoffed.

As she turned to leave, 479, who hadn't said anything throughout the duration of the short conversation, stayed behind.

"Type 4?"

"How many times do I have to say that?" 252 snapped, prompting 479 to recoil. The Treecko immediately regretted her words. The Rotom was, after all, the first Pokémon she'd met that was just like her. A blockhead.

But as soon as she opened her mouth to apologize, Tari shouted over her shoulder.

"479!"

The Cranidos' call from the crowd prompted 479 to quiver. She then sheepishly floated away in Tari's direction, leaving 252 to close her mouth without a single word spoken.

"What are they, friends now?" Krys asked immediately after they were out of earshot.

"I wouldn't know. They've both been keeping to themselves."

"I feel bad," 252 said out of the blue, 479's disappointed gaze still fresh in her mind. "I… Didn't meant to bark at her like that."

"479? I wouldn't worry about it," Krys said. "I doubt she'll even remember."

"I know, but—"

"Tari has a way of getting under your skin," Zeke said reassuringly. "479 will understand you're just flustered. She'd know better than anyone."

"How bad is it for her? The block?"

"Type 1. That's generally what you'll see around here as far as blocks go."

"What's even the difference between the blocks? What makes hers and mine so different?"

"Okay okay," Krys piped up. "Think of it like this. Hers is a lot less… sensitive, I guess? Can't say I know what having either is like, but hers is gonna hurt a lot less and is harder to trigger than yours. Sometimes, 'mon with Type 1 and 2 blocks can even remember little details about their past here and there. Their name, their parents, their home."

"So she doesn't hurt like I do when she tries to remember?"

Just mentioning that forbidden territory irritated the block. Krys and Zeke gave 252 a second or two to let her count to herself.

"See that? That's what I mean. She's not gonna have episodes as often as you, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it…" 252 whispered, some untargeted resentment oozing from her words.

"If how she did in our sparring says anything, though, it's that it doesn't really matter what kinda block you have."

All heads turned to Rex as his voice appeared out of thin air. The Nidoran, having obviously heard the last little bit of their conversation, was approaching from the direction of the tent.

"She couldn't use moves or nothin'. Shouldn't there be some battle requirement or something when you enlist just so everyone knows you're serious?"

252 couldn't help but chuckle nervously. She hadn't had the time or reason to even think about how she could perform individually in terms of battle. Did she know how to use her attacks? Was it muscle memory, or something she would have to relearn entirely?

"Give her time to adjust," Zeke said, moving over to give Rex room to join the circle. "Rotom are versatile. The more we help her, the more she can help the team."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I found Tari, by the way. Said y'all were over here and completely ignored me. You do something to piss her off? Or is it just from earlier?"

"Earlier?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Zeke kicked her ass! She was acting all tough and all confident, but got so mad when he beat her."

"It wasn't like that," Zeke replied quietly, eyeing the ground. "I had the type advantage. She did well given the circumstance."

"Yeah, whatever you say." Rex then turned to 252 and Krys, specifically. "It was so funny. She had a legit tantrum on the field, even headbutted some dude that tried poking fun. It was the best."

"Don't let her catch you saying that," Krys warned, looking over 252's shoulder to ensure Tari was, in fact, gone.

"Anyways, 479. The way she's been acting, you'd think she has like a Type 20 or something."

"Those don't exist, do they?!" 252 exclaimed. Judging by how other Pokémon had taken the news of her block being a Type 4, the odds that something even close to a Type 20 existed were low, but she wanted to be sure.

"Course not. She's only a Type 1, but she triggers it way too much, and reacts like it's actually hurting her every single time."

"It probably is," Krys said condescendingly.

"Doubt it. Betting she's just trying to chicken out, and intentionally triggers the block. Who knows? Maybe she's trying to break through, put herself out of her misery before things actually get hard."

"That's enough," Zeke said calmly, promptly shutting Rex right up.

252's curiosity, however, had been prodded.

"Break… through?"

All heads turned towards her, faces suddenly grim. 252 took a step back, not having expected the reaction.

"You didn't tell her?" Rex accosted Krys.

"I thought she knew! Why wouldn't the doctors tell her that?"

"Tell me what?"

"What the block actually does."

252 watched Zeke with frightened eyes as he spoke The way they were acting made it out to seem like a big deal. The Monferno sighed, motioning Rex away before stepping closer to 252.

"Sometimes, Pokémon with low-strength blocks, usually Types 1 and 2, will discover a stimulus strong enough to break through the psychic power and free their memories."

"That's a good thing though, right…?"

"The block isn't _only_ there to impede your memory. 252, you're a hostage."

…

"If the block ever does break, so does your mind. Pokémon that break through their block fall asleep and never wake up."

…

"That's why we're all here. It's to help you. The only way we can."

"That's…"

"Not like you got anything to worry about anyways. Your block's so bad it's damn near impossible to break it in the first place. Should count yourself lucky."

The dead silence following Rex's comment prompted a nervous chuckle.

"Why am I not dead?"

252's apathetic tone did little to soothe the tension.

"Two, what do you—"

"I mean what I said. Why am I alive? Why even bother putting these things in our head? If the enemy wanted to cripple allegiance, why don't they just kill everyone they capture? It would be so much easier."

The block didn't take kindly to the stray thoughts that followed 252's defeated questions, but she couldn't find the motivation to care. It hurt immensely, but she ignored it, having almost accepted it as an integral part of her new life.

"They want to end the fighting, but don't want to surrender."

"Huh?"

Krys was just as confused, seemingly, as 252.

"Zeke, you know about all this politics stuff?"

"Yes."

A plain answer, but it was more than enough to pique 252's interest. She listened attentively as he continued.

"The blocks are their way of holding hostages in as non-violent a way as possible. They know they're losing the war, and are trying to make a blocked population strong enough to use as a bargaining chip. They know we don't have the psychic manpower to combat it."

"Aren't they killing Pokémon if they break through their block, though?"

"I never said killed. I said they went to sleep. Obviously, each Pokémon with a block is going to know who, how, where, and why their block was implemented. Valuable information that the sykes can't afford to let loose."

"You sure know a lot about this stuff, huh?" Rex said.

"Back at home I spent a lot of time reading. My family was…"

He paused, looking away for a moment. In that fraction of a second, 252 swore she saw a strange emotion flare up in the Monferno's eyes before it was quickly suppressed.

"My family made sure I was well-read."

"Well I think it's awesome," Krys said, beaming. "You're like, knowledge city!"

"Thank you for the compliment," he replied politely before turning back to 252. "Does that help you understand?"

"Y-yeah. Thank you," was all she could say. The news was grim, but at the very least she'd learned something about the motive behind her inaccessible memories. As much as Rex's words regarding her being 'lucky her block was so bad' angered her, she realized that it was, in fact, a hidden upside to the situation. At least she didn't have to worry about spontaneously falling into a coma.

It didn't make her feel any better about the Nidoran. Up until then she'd been relatively neutral despite his insensitive quips, but she was starting to understand Krys' annoyance.

"I'd say the split is about 50/50 in terms of Our Great Kingdom's citizens and how they see the war. A lot of Pokémon want to see the blocks removed if it means meeting the sykes' terms, but just as many want to keep pushing until they're destroyed."

"Oh yeah," Krys said, "Zeke, if you know about all this stuff, then what is it everyone's so angry about anyways? I'll hear 'mon arguing all the time about this stuff, but I never really caught on, y'know? Why are we even fighting? Why them versus us?"

Zeke looked Krys up and down as if she was crazy. She smiled nervously.

"Krys, they _murdered_ Our Great King. Metagross, the Demon Dungeon of the Northern Highlands? You've never heard any of this?"

"No? Why would I? It's not like it's got much to do with me."

Rex was trying to hold back a snicker as Zeke sighed, visibly confused.

"Where did you say you were from?"

"Right here in Whiteridge?"

" _Wow,_ " Rex accentuated. "That's… That's amazing. You're really one-of-a-kind, Krys!"

"I'll tell you the story for 252's sake, but Krys, this is really something you should've known. _Especially_ if you planned on serving in the military. It'd probably do you some good to go to the library and try to read up on this stuff."

"Haha… Yeah…"

Krys looked towards the ground, panic creeping onto her face. 252 distinctly remembered having been told Krys didn't know how to read.

"So… The tale of Our Great Downfall."

* * *

 _Our Great King was the greatest Pok_ _é_ _mon to have ever lived. And he wasn't even born one of us._

 _A mythical creature sent to prevent tragedy. Humans, as they were called, hailing from a land in which Pok_ _é_ _mon didn't even exist. Only those closest to him ever knew how he arrived, mysteriously transformed into an Eevee, but why he was sent was clear. The world was in danger._

 _He partnered with a runaway, a lonely Vulpix focused on proving she could make the world a better place. Together, they created a team and fought back against hardship and evil to bring the world to peace once more._

 _But he didn't stop there. Not long after the fighting had finished, he had the opportunity to leave us all behind. But, looking at our world, he chose to stay and help us rebuild._

 _His partner? Revealed to have been a runaway princess of a small kingdom, she returned home with the human by her side. Together, they united the Pok_ _é_ _mon world and established what would later be known as Our Great Kingdom. Everyone was happy, everyone had full bellies, everyone loved Our Great King and Queen._

 _All was well, all was peaceful, until the Mystery Dungeons arrived._

 _Curious anomalies that spawn spontaneously and without prejudice. Nobody knows what they really are. Nobody, except Team Dawn, the greatest exploration team to have ever existed._

 _Lena, the unrelenting. Soren, the lithe. Metagross, the mind. Together, they braved many of the deepest dungeons the world has ever known._

 _But then came the Demon Dungeon. Far in the Northern Highlands, a dungeon had grown so massive it was starting to encroach on settlements a dozen miles away from its core. Team Dawn lead an expedition to study, and eventually clear it._

 _This dungeon was like no other ever explored. Lena and Soren, two of Team Dawn, were killed and never again saw the light of day._

 _Metagross escaped, but was broken. His mind, so twisted by the secrets of the Mystery Dungeon epidemic, knew only one thing: greed. He saw an opportunity upon returning to Providence to seize power, and took it without second thought._

 _Our Great King was killed in cold blood, and the traitorous psychics followed Metagross as he took power._

 _However, the people, having so loved their king, soon drove Metagross and his psychic followers out of the capital and back into the Northern Highlands._

 _But it wasn't enough. Metagross wanted more. He always wants more._

 _Even today we still fight in the name of Our Great King. The psychics want to create chaos to tear us apart, but we still find ourselves united under a single, common love._

 _That for Our Great Kingdom._

* * *

"Wait, that's a real story?"

"Yes…?"

"I thought that was just a bedtime story my big brother told me sometimes. Some yada yada about not being too greedy. Huh. The more you know, I guess."

"See! I knew she knew it! There's no way anyone hasn't heard it before," Rex said.

"Is that really what happened?" 252 asked.

"Well, yes… Is there something wrong with it?"

"He just _happened_ to be exploring partners with a runaway princess? Isn't that _really_ coincidental?"

"It's a kid's story," Rex said. "It's probably not word-for-word what happened, but it gives a good idea of why everyone's fighting."

"And a… _Human_? What are those supposed to be?"

"I heard that they look a lot like a Mudsdale, but with a Sawk's head!"

"I grew up thinking they were bipedal…"

"Bi… Pedal?"

"Two-legged like you, Krys, but they have scales instead of fur."

Zeke then turned back to 252, making sure she was at least partially following along.

"Nobody's going to expect you to give a history lesson, so I wouldn't worry about it," he said, smiling. "It's just a story."

"Right… Just a story."

For whatever reason, those words resounded in her head.

 _Just a story…_

At the first signs of the block she tried diverting her attention, but the initial effort wasn't enough. Everyone in the circle quietly gave her space as she closed her eyes and quietly counted numbers under her breath.

 _Just a story…_

It wouldn't go away. Something was wrong.

 _Just a story…_

She wrenched open her eyes and sent a pleading, desperate stare towards Krys before a sudden wave of agony prompted her to keel over.

"Two?!"

 _It's just a story. That's what they said._

Krys' voice was sounded as if it was miles away. 252 didn't know whether or not she was still standing. She felt the vague sensation of a firm grip on her shoulder, but it did little to help.

 _Don't forget what story you're here for._

These thoughts. They were certainly her own, but felt so, unbelievably foreign. What was worse was the fixation. Was it just natural for the block to alter her thinking and glue her to a single train of thought? Every attempt at escape was met with just more and more pain, more and more chaos.

She suddenly opened her eyes.

She was back in that dark place, that void she'd initially found herself in just prior to waking up. The block was still omnipresent, but even through her incessant writhing she was able to pick up on the fact it was slowly warping.

In the darkness, the mind-shattering screech of the block warbled in and out until eventually, she thought she heard something discernable.

A word.

In one moment, it meant everything and absolutely nothing.

And in the next, her vision came back to her as if someone had flipped a switch. Her face went completely blank as her eyes met with Krys. She found the Sneasel kneeling above her as 252 had, apparently, collapsed.

A crowd had gathered, and it was all 252 could do to send a blank stare at each of the faces watching her until the word rose to her throat.

"Roehm…"

* * *

 **And the squad is introduced.**

 **I've been moving around the chapters, if you haven't noticed. Prologue is brand new, and Chapters 1 and 2 were revamped to better fit an organizational structure and error fix. Expect what was previously Chapter 3 as what will probably be Chapter 5, as I found it more productive in the narrative sense to save the spar between Krys and 252 for later on.**

 **As for progress… I've been slowly getting back into the rhythm of writing and I hope that keeps up, especially for this fic. SaC progress is slow and steady, but I'm slowly getting somewhere as I try and piece together the small bits I didn't give enough thought when planning it earlier on.**

 **As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, especially in these earlier stages. Feed me I'm hungry.**

 **/dip**


	5. Exactly What She Seems

**l**

 **Chapter IV**

* * *

The sun had long since set, leaving behind an oppressing, muggy blanket of humidity. The quiet-yet-heavy shuffle of feet and low, sporadic whispers composed a song of complete and utter exhaustion.

Through this somber harmony, however, Krys' voice still managed to rise above all else as she spoke enthusiastically.

"Maybe it was a dream?"

"I don't know if I was asleep," 252 whispered, sending the Sneasel a sideways glance.

"Noooooobody cares," Tari groaned. "252, quit answering her. She'll shut up if you ignore it."

"But—"

"Just drop it. Literally nobody wants to hear about it anymore. I swear, Krys, even 252 sounds like she cares less than you do."

Taken aback, Krys looked to 252 for her reaction. The Treecko, while slightly miffed by Tari's harsh word choice, couldn't help but shrug. She was far too tired to come up with any sort of defense, not to mention Tari was… kind of right?

The entire company was right on the heels of Squad Four, so Krys decided to shut her mouth, at least for the moment. Tari turned back around, seemingly content..

252's episode earlier that day had undoubtedly frightened her teammates and many others present, but the block had also left as soon as it came. 252 hardly remembered anything about the incident herself, but even now the single word to come out of the entire ordeal was still fresh on her mind.

 _Roehm._

Nobody knew what she was talking about after the fact, and she had played it down as nothing more than a relatively worse-than-normal instance of the block. She'd rejected any medical attention offered in the aftermath, choosing instead to suffer the mixed stares of the unfamiliar Pokemon in the company for the rest of the day.

Krys had been almost overbearingly supportive. Of course, the Sneasel had no clue what 252 was talking about at the time either, but she'd taken a fascination with 252's description of the incident.

"I've still never heard of a block talking to someone before."

"That's not what happened, you dense—"

Sav had been walking up and down the group as they marched in semi-formation with their squads. A sharp stare in Tari's direction was enough to shut the Cranidos' mouth. She huffed, turning forward once more.

"She thought she heard something she didn't," Tari hissed, her voice just above a whisper. "End of story. I didn't just stand through two hours of bullshit just to listen to more of it on the way bac—"

"04409!"

"Instructor!" Tari called back, head shooting into the air as Sav's words ironed her posture.

"04215!"

"Instructor!" Krys chirped.

"Do you two know what silent means?"

"Yes, Instructor!" they both exclaimed simultaneously. Next to nobody raised their heads to acknowledge the situation. 252 quietly wondered if half of them even noticed Sav was yelling, given the deathly tired expressions on most of their faces.

"409, I'd like to ask why you believe the Centurion's words are, if I heard you right, 'bullshit'. You understand that, as one of the overseers of our entire Cohort, he's a direct subordinate of Sawyer himself?! That he is not only your superior, but mine?"

"Yes, Instructor!"

"I'll know if you didn't pay attention to every single word he said, 409. I _will_ know. Every single word. It doesn't matter how much you _think_ you don't like it, because I know you loved it. Didn't you love it, 409?"

"Yes, Instructor!"

"Good! Because tomorrow, when I'm working your ass off, I'm gonna test to make sure you know for sure. Sleep well, 'cause not even the gods know when I'll let you take a break."

"Yes, Instructor!"

"Give me a 'thank you'!"

"Thank you, Instructor!"

The Ambipom, satisfied, turned and started making her way back towards the front of the pack. Krys relaxed soon after while Tari fumed.

Most of the orientation had been a high-ranking Empoleon parading Our Great Kingdom for its many feats despite the hard times it was enduring. 252, obviously, had no way of knowing for herself whether or not it had all been true, but the enthusiasm displayed by most of the company was enough for it to be… at least somewhat important? If other people cared, then was she obligated to as well?

In any case, 252's mind had been so filled with the possibility of what 'Roehm' may have been that she'd hardly paid attention during the ceremony. Was Roehm a place? A person? Perhaps it was someone she knew, or maybe she'd misheard and the block instead had told her to 'roam'.

Maybe it was just gibberish. But it couldn't be. Krys had made it clear blocks weren't supposed to speak. They weren't living things.

Regardless, 'Roehm' was an artist, her thoughts its paint and her forgetful, empty mind an equally blank canvas. 252's imagination—when not impeded upon by the block—was actively crafting every conceivable identity 'Roehm' may have fit. She'd let Roehm paint her a vivid image before the block inevitably wiped it all away, leaving behind only the same, blank slate.

It sounded like a man's name. Big and burly, like a Donphan, but with a soft side. She imagined that Donphan silently sitting beside her, looking up at cotton-ball clouds on a particularly brilliant day.

If Roehm had been somebody 252 knew and cared about, wouldn't he feel horrible knowing she didn't remember him? 252 somberly chuckled at the prospect. At how easily even the strongest of connections would have been entirely wiped away.

If they'd been attacked together, this Roehm likely didn't even know who she was, either. She couldn't tell whether that made her feel better or worse.

"I'll find you," she quietly muttered under her breath, soul slowly sinking back into her body. That beautiful day spent cloudwatching grew darker and darker until she was suddenly back under the emotionless, charcoal sky of reality.

* * *

 _Not again. Please, please not again._

The Empoleon, for what was probably the hundredth time, stepped on stage and began reciting his hour-long dedication to the glory of Our Great Kingdom. Every conflict won, every citizen saved. Combatting both the Mystery Dungeons and the sykes, and prospering nevertheless.

The crowd was suffocating, just as oppressive on one side as all the rest. And yet, 252 picked up each unique voice among the masses, happily paying their individual respects at the price of her sanity.

The Empoleon's voice rose above them all, morphing and twisting until suddenly, it was the telepathic droll of 344. And then the misleading friendliness of Adj. The monotone of the Smeargle secretary. Zeke's retelling of "Our Great Downfall". Rex. 479. Tari. Krys.

While all their individual sounds may have differed, their collective voice was the same. It'd been the same for what seemed like dozens upon dozens of hours of being forced to stand at attention. It was the voice of the block, piercing through her head like a jagged metal spike.

The constant thudding of a heartbeat in her head played a rhythm on her eardrums that filled the microscopic gaps between the clamor with even more pointless noise.

No amount of squirming alleviated the constant pressure of dozens of Pokemon assaulting each of her senses. The humid, congested, hot air of a windless summertime evening carried a certain weight to it that made the situation all the worse.

The useless babble, the inability to move, it was all too much. The block was the icing on the cake, steadily growing louder and sharper until it became the center of a world otherwise dominated by Our Great Kingdom.

She soon realized trying to count would be pointless. After all, her only knowledge now was that of Our Great Kingdom's many achievements. Numbers were a convenience left far behind.

She couldn't breathe… Had she forgotten how to do that, too?

The sensory experience of the next few seconds was difficult to handle. First came the sudden intake of oxygen, a breath big enough to jolt her back into the waking world. As the many Pokemon crowding her suddenly disappeared, she felt herself falling backwards and almost definitely bruising her backside on impact with the cold, hard dirt.

She coughed violently for a few moments as the dull browns and greys of the orientation ceremony faded, succeeded by an inked-out sky and a much more bearable breeze to combat the humid night air.

A harsh ringing in her ears was evidence the block had made its rounds, but as far as she could tell, it was no longer present. The thudding of her own heartbeat continued its song her head, but she soon realized there was a much more pressing issue.

 _Why am I outside?_

More senses returning only succeeded in leaving room for confusion to encroach even further. The dead of night. Outside. Asleep. Not in bed.

Exhaustion was a given byproduct following a long, tiring day with little food and even less information. While 252's dreams hadn't exactly been peaceful after the earful she'd gotten from the Empoleon behind their orientation, she had been asleep the second her head first hit the straw of her bed. The memory was hazy, but it was there.

As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she was able to make out some features of the surrounding area by the light of the single torch at the camp's entrance.

The torch's presence alone was enough to tell her she was still in her company's area. A quick look behind her confirmed the presence of the wooden tables and, further back, the stone outhouses. She was plopped in the dirt about halfway between Sav's administrative tent and her own.

She took a moment to slowly stand up and assess herself. Nothing seemed too out of place, even if her hind end felt quite painful.

She did have to pee, though.

 _Maybe that's what I got up for. Too exhausted to remember._

Before she began to make her way over to relieve herself, however, she heard chatter. Looking around, she saw Sav's tent, candlelight pouring through every opening. She focused in on it for a moment, realizing her ears weren't playing tricks on her and that she was, in fact, hearing voices.

Curious, and in no particular rush to get back to the stuffy tent, she took a few cautious steps forward.

"—a process. They'll get there."

The voice was vaguely familiar. Before she could put too much thought into whose it was, a second voice popped up.

"I hope."

That second voice was Sav. Her words were significantly more relaxed than 252 had ever heard from her prior. The Ambipom chuckled soon thereafter.

"Listening to myself earlier, I swear I almost sounded like Kepner," she continued, voice remaining soft. "Barking orders, messing with the greenies, making sure they were all at attention. It feels like forever since he's last written…"

"Centurions, always busy with something. Though, I got news yesterday that the Fourteenth was actually headed away from Weavile's Clutch. We may actually hear from him soon if that's the case."

"He'll be a lot prouder of your advancement than mine, I can tell you that much," Sav chuckled. "It's good to hear, though…"

This was followed by a brief period of silence. 252 realized Sav was obviously having a personal conversation that served her little purpose to keep eavesdropping on. She was ready to turn back around when something interesting came from the blue, as if her presence had compelled it forwards.

"So, before you head out. The Treecko."

"The Treecko."

252 didn't need more of an invitation to round the tent to get a better angle on the conversation. In addition, her new position gave a better avenue of escape if she needed to do so, all while remaining out of sight.

"You just gonna… Dump her?" Sav asked. "No warning or anything? She's been doing as good as you'd expect from a Type 4, but why even admit her in the first place?"

"Please… You're acting like we turn anyone away period. Block or not, a soldier's a soldier. Fresh blockheads like her don't stand a chance on the streets."

"You know I don't like that word."

"Right… The slang just comes to me now. Sorry. 'Mon with blocks. Either way, she'd starve if I didn't admit her."

"Sure, but why stick her with me? The entire company is basically block on top of block on top of block. Her squad got it easy. One of my squads has four blocked members. _Four!_ I can't wait to see what they'll score in the Profs."

The second voice let out an amused chuckle at the remark.

"It's not funny. I got a serious problem here, and sticking me with a Type 4 is only making it worse."

"Is it wrong of me to say I thought she'd probably do better with you than anyone else training recruits right now?"

Sav was silent.

"Just… Do me this favor, Sav. You saw the note I included with her papers, right? I have a feeli—"

"A letter isn't good enough. I need a warning before you just shove your little experiments on me. I didn't need this in my first round of recruits. I'm trying to do good, but…"

She trailed off before sighing, defeated.

"Just go for tonight. I'll talk to you again when I find the time."

"Sav, I—"

"You're not just leaving the Treecko here, understand? I'll make sure she gets by, but _you_ need to take care of your own problems. Got it?"

A few moments of silence.

"I understand. Thank you for your help."

"Now leave. Please."

252's eyes widened as the end of the conversation passed. Realizing she was out in the open, she quickly dove behind the side of the tent opposite the entrance. She held her breath, but let her curiosity overtake her and peeked out from behind her cover.

It was an Alakazam standing in front of Sav's tent. 252's blood practically boiled at the sight of him.

Adj gave a wistful glance around the site, eyes finally the tent of Squad Four, 252's very own. His eyes narrowed before he simply popped out of existence with an audible _snap!_

 _How does Adj know Sav? He intentionally sent me to her company, but why?_

She made sure the coast was clear before stepping out from behind her cover and tiptoeing back through the clearing to her tent. The atmosphere was eerily quiet—each little pebble she upturned sounded like it could be heard for miles.

 _Sav called me an experiment… What's that supposed to mean? Is it because of my block?_

With that thought, 252 sighed. She pushed through the flaps and back into the humid, odor-filled darkness of her tent.

 _One step at a time._

Was she to just play along? Adj certainly didn't make a good first impression, but 252 thought she would've at least been able to trust Sav. If not from the straightforward introduction and subsequent conversation, then from the fact she was obviously passionate about Pokemon with blocks.

She too, was seemingly against her. The entirety of Our Great Kingdom was against 252, for all she knew or cared.

Adj had mentioned reaching out to try and learn more about her block, and why it may have been special. Even if he was being suspiciously secretive, the words he'd spoken to her earlier that day echoed in her mind.

 _A place to sleep. Food to eat. Water to drink._

She much preferred an uncertain future with a full belly over an empty one. Until she could either learn more from Zeke or received another clue outside of 'Roehm', she figured herself completely stuck.

* * *

Vines coiled around 252's ankles before she'd even realized Sav had given the signal to start. Shocked, she frantically tried kicking off their already-iron grip. With her feet off the ground, however, the Tangela had no trouble simply yanking his vines and pulling 252's legs out from under her.

Whiplash. The back of her skull crashed into the ground, driving away her ability to see and hear for a second or two. By then, vines had snuck up her torso and pinned her arms to her sides. She was already done, having only received a splitting headache as a consolation prize.

Still stuck. It was over as soon as it started.

"You good?"

She could hardly hear the Tangela's words through the ringing in her ears, but she nodded nonetheless, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head as her opponent released his grip.

"Sorry, should've let you down a bit easier."

"No," she whispered, cradling her head. "My fault."

There was so much she could've done in the instant the spar started, but she whiffed nonetheless. Her face burned as she sheepishly turned towards the evaluator, a Helioptile, that'd been spectating their match.

Like most of the Pokemon 252 had seen outside of her company, this Helioptile was wearing a badge with the same, crescent moon-shaped insignia and bronze trim. She used hand prints to jot something down on a piece of paper she held close to her chest. Surely, nothing good.

Most of the one-on-one spars had concluded by then, a clear victor decided by a takedown in the opening few seconds. After Sav stressed the importance of 'performing your best' in this initial examination, 252 couldn't help but feel disappointed at her apparent lack of competence. Surely, she would've been able to last more than just a few seconds if she tried harder?

Her eyes wandered across the field until they found someone familiar. Rex's spar was still going on three spots over, but he was quite obviously on the losing end of the matchup. His opponent, a Geodude, delivered blow after blow from close range, unfazed by the Nidoran's attempts at pushing him back.

The bout ended as Rex finally stepped out of bounds. 252 saw him say a few quick words to the Geodude, but they went unanswered. Annoyed, the Nidoran brushed past his own evaluator as he made his way towards one of the battles still going.

252 took the brief intermission as a chance to sit down and rub the back of her neck, sore after the battle. She still heard a faint ringing in her ears not entirely unlike the block.

"You good dude?"

252 looked out of the corner of her eye to see Krys standing nearby. Most of the Pokemon nearby were either in the process or had already migrated to one of the few fights still remaining, but Krys had stopped to check up on the isolated Treecko.

"Yeah…"

"That bad, huh?" Krys inferred, having heard the disappointment radiate off 252. "I wouldn't worry about it, Two. You'll get 'em in the next one, huh?"

"... Maybe…"

"There you go! If you know what you did wrong, it's easy to stop it from happening in the next fight. Just be confident!"

 _Easy for you to say._

Krys soon helped 252 to her feet, gave her a hearty pat on the back, and jogged over to where the rest of the company was grouped up. After standing there silently for a few more seconds, 252 slunk over to the group as well, catching a few blank stares in the process. She kept her head down, recalling that the 'Roehm' outburst of the previous day had attracted some much undesired attention.

"Time! Everyone still battling gets a loss! In a dungeon, if you aren't able to take out your opponent in a minute or less, you shouldn't try fighting them in the first place. Easiest way to get swarmed."

Sav's voice boomed over the crowd, suppressing any groans of displeasure. She then whipped out a parchment using one of her tails, and held it up to read.

"Same idea this time, but different squads. Squad One with Squad Seven. Two with Eight. Three with Five, and Four with Six. Find your evaluators and they'll let you know your matchups. Go!"

252 was surprised at how smoothly the evaluation process had gone. She figured more individual aspects of the evaluation would come later, but Sav seemed to have a good idea of what she was doing with the company as a whole. One of the few memories in the back of 252's mind reminded her that this was Sav's first time leading a company, too.

Krys' words rose above the cacophony of voices as 252 approached where her squad was meeting up. "How'd everyone's matches go?"

"It went alright," Zeke said bluntly, clueless to the fact his brevity took a big chunk out of the Sneasel's enthusiasm.

Both Tari and 479 said nothing as they were the last to approach. They'd both heard Krys' question, but had chosen to keep their mouths shut.

Rex opened his mouth to say something, but promptly closed it. A heavy air of silence quickly enveloped the group.

Had their battles all really gone that poorly? If nobody was keen on talking about it, it couldn't have gone well.

"How was _yours_ , Krys?" Tari asked out of the blue after enough silence had passed to make the situation uncomfortable. It sounded like a sneer, though Tari herself didn't sound angry. Had her battle gone well after all?

"Oh, good," she said, apparently unaware of Tari's sarcasm. "Yeah, that Shinx didn't know what he had comin'. His thunderbolt hurt, though! Like, I was able to use Icy Wind to slow him down enough to where I could run in and knock him down, but if he'd paralyzed me wi—"

"Pipe down," boomed an intimidating Beartic from behind Squad Four, eliciting quite the relieved look from Tari as Krys shut her mouth to listen. Squad Six, their opponents for the upcoming round of battles, had grouped just a few feet away.

It consisted of a Zigzagoon, an Eevee, a Gligar, Misdreavus, Larvitar, and Clefairy. The Pokemon of Squad Six seemed to be much more used to one another than Squad Four. They were chatting quietly in pairs or trios before the Beartic came, discussing what 252 could only guess was the battles that had just taken place.

"Let's get this done quick," the Beartic muttered, proceeding down a list of issued numbers. He pondered the parchment for a moment.

"04479, let's have you against 06200. 04391, against 06207. 04408 versus 06133…"

252 didn't remember anybody's numbers outside of 479's, so she could only really listen for her own. When it finally did get called, though, she had no idea who her opponent actually was. 06246.

Wouldn't it just have been easier for everyone to call out their species instead? The Beartic seemed almost annoyed when nobody else knew where to go, either.

"Nobadgers… Right. You all should've paired up when I called your number. I'll run through it one more time. Listen or I'll fail all of you."

Krys hoped to convey her thoughts to 252 through a roll of her eyes, helping to affirm an odd observation in 252's mind. Part of her had thought everyone around her knew the numbering system used by so many of the higher-ups, but it seemed none of her teammates had a clue. Why, then, did the proctor insist on using them?

"Two," Krys hissed.

"Huh?"

The Sneasel flicked her snout towards the Beartic, who had apparently called her number while she was lost in thought. 252 hurriedly stepped forward to meet what she supposed was her new opponent, the Gligar from the other squad. She made sure to whisper a quiet thanks to Krys as she passed.

Half of the squad had already been split into their respective matches, so 252 silently followed the opposing Gligar to the next open field. She sized her up as they did so, taking note of the Gligar's skinny arms and waist, bones showing underneath a pale, yet tough layer of skin. Her pincers looked sharp, however, eliciting a gulp from 252.

"You look like you've never seen a Gligar before," her opponent suddenly said. It was only then 252 realized she'd noticed her staring. "You blocked?"

"Y-yeah. I… I've seen a Gligar before, though."

"Oh right… Species information and stuff gets through all that, huh? Yeah, Gligar're all over the place in Whiteridge. Lotta ground types, even though we're so high up."

She seemed amused enough at her own joke to laugh, turning as she reached her side of the field.

"I'm Jaelyn. You know your name?"

 _Ow ow ow ow…_

Once 252 had shaken off the block's intrusion, she scratched her head and answered sheepishly. "252… My num—"

"Begin!"

Sav's booming call sparked chaos as moves from battlefields all around 252 started being thrown. She herself had been spooked by Sav's voice alone. The Ambipom was much louder than she looked capable of being.

"Sorry, 252," Jaelyn said, regrabbing the Treecko's attention. She'd taken to the sky, wings already white-hot with power. "Hope we can be friends after this, though, yeah?"

252 had to dodge a projectile shot at her in the following few seconds. She found it easy to regain her balance, but Jaelyn wouldn't let her stay in one place for long.

How was 252 supposed to fight if she hadn't had the time to think about it beforehand? It wasn't like she could use any moves? Just like the Tangela, how was this even remotely fair?

Promptly before her legs were suddenly swept out from under her, she recognized a stray attack out of the corner of her eye. A rogue Swift from the next battlefield over, which had somehow managed to miss its intended target. The Eevee responsible for the attack shouted over a quick 'whoops' before going back to his own business in his battle against Tari.

252 didn't have the time to sit and ponder the legality of the interruption. She rolled out of the way as Jaelyn had come crashing down where she'd been moments prior. The Treecko made a scramble back to her feet, but only to be hit with a hard smack to the jaw. She found herself right back on the ground, staring up at a mockingly calm sky. The evaluator watching their match called the results.

All she could do was sigh before Jaelyn's wing entered her field of view. She gladly accepted the help to her feet. She massaged the back of her head, where her previous injury sustained against the Tangela had been aggravated once again.

"Sorry… I don't think Reno meant to do that. You need ice or somethin'?"

"I should be fine," she muttered. She immediately wanted to comment on the Eevee's interruption in the fight, but couldn't find the words to do so. It wasn't like 252 would've won to begin with. The match had already been called either way.

Tari, though, didn't think the same way on the topic. Her spar ended very soon after 252's own, and she seemed absolutely livid. She stormed up to the Eevee, Reno, as he was getting up and loomed over him with an absolutely furious look on her face.

"The hell was that?!" she boomed, peering over at 252 for half a moment before focusing her gaze once again on the much shorter normal-type. "That's my teammate you're screwing with you braindead sack of sh—"

An icy blast hit Tari dead on, sending her tumbling away a dozen feet away from the Eevee she'd defeated.

"Step back," the Beartic evaluator asserted, stepping up behind Reno. "I'd be glad to take your win off the record."

"You didn't see that?!" Tari yelled back, unfazed by both his threat and his attack. The Cranidos shook off some of the frost clinging to the spikes on her head. "He attacked my teammate during her fight! Trying to bring down our rating! Tell me you saw that! Back me up, 252!"

With the spotlight suddenly on 252, she took a step back. At Tari's insistent glare, however, she nodded her head. It was slowly dawning on her that Tari wasn't particularly interested in her wellbeing, but instead, the results of the tests.

The Beartic looked back and forth between all the combatants. He rolled his eyes.

"In an actual fight in a dungeon, these are the kinds of things that happen all the time. It's good to be prepared for them. The results will stand as recorded."

"Are you kidding me?! It's because he's a kinglet, isn't he? You've gotta b—"

"One more word out of you and I'll deduct your win faster than you can say, "no, please!"."

The Beartic stepped forward menacingly, halving his distance to Tari. The look in her eyes still screamed 'resolute'.

"One thing you'll learn quickly is that what I, or your instructor, or your commander says _goes_. You and the Eevee are both equally nothing. If you can't learn that, I'll personally _make_ you learn. Is. That. Clear?"

Tari's eyes still held contempt, more than anything else. They betrayed how she would respond if she was left to open her mouth. Luckily, however, a saving grace in the form of Zeke arrived on the scene in that moment. He fearlessly and calmly walked right up to Tari and placed a firm hand on her back.

252 watched as Tari's eyes closed. She took in a deep breath before responding, voice full of hatred.

"Yes sir."

"If you're finished with your matches you're dismissed until after lunch hour," the Beartic continued, turning to face all those that'd gathered to watch the small scuffle. "Your instructor wants you back in camp by midday. Understood?"

A resounding, "Yes sir."

* * *

 **Been a while, and a lot's happened.**

 **My writing habit in general is slowly dying, and for SaC even moreso than YGK. I wish I could say with certainty that I'll finish it, but at this point, I just can't come to terms with it. Too much has piled on and this third arc feels like an incredibly daunting task.**

 **I'm sorry to those that are disappointed I seem to have relatively more interest in this fic than the one that started it all for me, but I'm not sure if I have a ton left in the tank. Not a ton of critique is oddly draining, as weird as it sounds.**

 **Reviews are one of the only things I get out of doing this, and getting legitimate feedback helps me a ton. This goes for both fics.**

 **The next chapter for YGK is already ready, and when I post that I'll hopefully be able to tell y'all my plans for SaC… Until then.**

 **Peace**


End file.
